by Kate Shunney
Morgan County has a housing affordability problem, county officials admitted last week as they approved another year of participation with the HOME Consortium. The Consortium is an Eastern Panhandle coalition of cities and counties formed to receive and distribute federal affordable housing funds.
Cory Roman, Community Development Director for the City of Martinsburg, runs the HOME Consortium. Last year, it received $455,815 in Housing and Urban Development (HUD) money to be used for the purchase, refurbishment, rehabilitation and construction of affordable housing in the region.
Given the price of housing in the Eastern Panhandle, that amount of federal money can’t achieve a lot, but Roman said two home buyers in Morgan County were helped with the funding to purchase a home.
Qualified buyers can take advantage of a deferred no-interest loan up to $24,500 to help with a downpayment for a first-time home purchase.
Roman said the Consortium has helped about 20 households in the last two months, either to buy or fix up an affordable home.
Morgan County Commissioner Bill Clark serves on the board of the HOME Consortium as a Morgan County representative, along with community leaders Audrey Morris and Denise Bergen.
Clark said the no-interest loan can absolutely help individuals get started in an affordable home.
“We have our peaks and valleys in how we’ve used it,” Clark said.
Roman said he would like to see a push to get an affordable housing project going in Morgan County.
The HOME funds can be used by builders or developers who are creating housing units that meet federal affordability levels.
Commissioner Sean Forney asked Roman to talk more about affordable rental development.
Roman said the HOME Consortium can partner with a developer to convert properties or build new ones and match up income-qualified residents to units that meet rent levels set by HUD.
“That can be interesting in Morgan County,” Forney said. He noted that one of the affordable housing developments – Catawba Club on Myers Road – has a waiting list of 20 to 30 people at most times. He said there’s a great need for affordable rentals.
“I’ve been saying we could build another Catawba Club or two and still have a waiting list,” said Forney. “House is a significant problem in Morgan County.”
Forney said what happened after COVID was great for real estate and boosted tourism, but it hasn’t helped the local population and affordability.
Roman said the big picture he sees with big developments taking advantage of HOME funds is that some units will be in the affordable range while other are rented or sold at market rate.
He said the HOME funds are valuable for local people who are getting priced out of real estate.
“This way, Morgan County folks from here can afford to stay here,” said Roman.
More information about the HOME Consortium funds like the Homebuyer’s Assistance Program can email croman@cityofmartinsburg.org by calling 304-264-2131 extension 276 or find information from mortgage lenders. Documents about the program can be found on the City of Martinsburg website at https://www.cityofmartinsburg.org/residents/community-development/homebuyer-assistance-program.