Haywood County opens revolving loan fund RFP to spur workforce housing projects

Hannah White briefed commissioners on a new Haywood County revolving loan fund established with Dogwood to support creation, preservation and rehabilitation of affordable and workforce housing. The program expands eligibility to households up to 120% of area median income to capture beginning workforce households and offers loans from $100,000 to $500,000 at a 3% interest rate with standard terms of 36 months (flexible to 60 months when projects require longer timelines).

White said the RFP would open the day after the meeting; the deadline for written questions is September 8 and final proposals are due September 14. She said the county partnered with the Seorer Foundation to handle loan management and that the fund could be paired with forthcoming state low‑income tax credit allocations for larger projects.