Asheville Board of REALTORS^®

The National Association of Realtors^® and the U.S. Conference of Mayors have designated Asheville and five other cities as 2008 Ambassador Cities.

National Association of Realtors^® and the U.S. Conference of Mayors, through its Council on the New American City, launched the Ambassador for Cities program in 2003. The program encourages cities and local Realtor^® associations to form partnerships to promote affordable housing and homeownership in their communities. The cities are Asheville, N.C., Alexandria, Va., Allentown, Pa., Bowling Green, Ky., Irvine, Calif., and Richmond, Va.

“Realtors^® build communities and are helping solve the nation’s affordability crisis through innovative and collaborative partnerships and programs,” said NAR President Dick Gaylord. “The Ambassador for Cities program helps us highlight these successful and effective partnerships between Realtors^®, mayors and their cities while calling attention to the need to create additional housing opportunities in the communities we call home.”

The six cities named an “Ambassador City” will hold public events throughout 2008, which will highlight the success of their partnership and provide an opportunity to further discuss and encourage universal affordable housing. Through the program, local Realtor^® associations receive $5,000 to help promote their event or initiative. Since its inception, the program has honored 29 cities and awarded $145,000 in grants to support local affordable housing initiatives.

Asheville, N.C., and the Asheville Board of Realtors^®
Affordable Housing Task Force. ABR is a key member of a task force working to create an affordable housing plan for Asheville. The plan will include recommendations to address zoning challenges, incentives for building affordable housing and redeveloping public housing, a free tax-preparation collaborative, an employer-assisted housing initiative, and an affordable housing public awareness campaign.The National Association of Realtors^® “The Voice for Real Estate,” is America’s largest trade association, representing 1.2 million members involved in all aspects of the residential and commercial real estate industries.

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The Ambassador City recognition was presented by the immediate past president of NAR to our mayor at a luncheon in Asheville on August 14th. Asheville Realtors^® will then begin educating local employers about Affordable Housing for young professionals: emergency preparedness personnel, medical staff, teachers, and others who without this initiative are quickly being priced out of the affordable home market in Western North Carolina. Mission Hospital is at the forefront with its affordable housing program for its medical staff.