North Carolina
NC Housing Finance Agency awarded $8M federal grant to secure housing for people with disabilities • NC Newsline
The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) is one of 18 state housing agencies that recently received an award from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to secure affordable housing for people with disabilities. NCHFA will receive nearly $8 million to help people with disabilities pay for affordable, safe housing. The agency will spend the money on 225 housing units in the form of rental assistance.
The awards may be used to address long-term housing security and affordability issues within existing, new or renovated multifamily developments. Agencies will will work with Medicaid and/or state health and human services agencies to connect tenants with community-based support services.
“Adults with disabilities often face significant barriers in securing a safe and stable place to live,” Assistant Secretary for Housing and Federal Housing Commissioner Julia Gordon said in a statement. “These awards create opportunities for more housing that’s available, accessible, and inclusive.”
Funding for the grants come from HUD’s Section 811 Project Rental Assistance for Persons with Disabilities program.
“Under the Biden-Harris Administration, we are committed to removing barriers to housing and ensuring that everyone has access to an accessible, quality, and affordable home that meets their needs,” said HUD Acting Secretary Adrianne Todman. “Today’s [August 14] awards will support Americans with disabilities by both creating affordable housing and expanding crucial support services.”
Scott Farmer, executive director of NCHFA said his agency applied for the Section 811 award in partnership with the N.C. Department of Health and Human Services.
“Our intent with the plan we submitted to HUD, we’re going to utilize this as rental assistance for units that are set aside within some of our recently funded or to be funded Housing Credit property,” Farmer said. “With our tax credit program, we’re already setting aside 10% of all of the units for persons with disabilities through what we call the Targeting [Housing] Program.”
The state’s Targeting Housing Program to which Farmer referred is a supportive housing program for people who are very low income and disabled and in need of affordable housing. The program is a partnership between NCHFA and NCDHHS in collaboration with owners, property management and service provider agencies.
Each year, 10% of all the rental apartments that are developed using the federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) are reserved to allow people with disabilities to apply to live in them. Under the housing tax credit program, developers are awarded tax credits in exchange for agreeing to maintain the property as affordable housing for a minimum of 30 years.
Farmer said the state funded rental assistance program administered through NCDHSS doesn’t meet all of the needs.
“It’s not enough,” Farmer said. “With rents escalating and an increase in demand for units overall, but especially for those at the lowest incomes and those with different disabilities, there needs to be additional resources. So, when this federal resource popped up, we applied for it.”
The agency received a Section 811 award in 2019, Farmer said, but did not receive it until January 2024 due to the pandemic and other delays.
“We were getting ready to implement those funds [from 2019] while we were applying for this second round,” Farmer said.
NC Newsline recently reported that the N.C. Department of Health & Human Services Strategic Housing Plan published in March 2023 calls for the agency to support the “creation of 3,500 PSH [permanent supportive housing] opportunities for people with disabilities through new construction and rehabilitation of existing properties.
“Research shows that PSH is effective for those with more severe disabilities and complex needs — including people with severe mental illness, people with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD), people impacted by substance use and substance use disorder, those experiencing chronic homelessness, and people exiting institutions,” the strategic housing plan said.
The research also shows that such housing is cost effective for people with co-occurring conditions who are experiencing homelessness and frequently use costly emergency and institutional services, the plan says. And overall, PSH results in positive outcomes on health, including behavioral health, as well as overall housing stability, according to the plan.
North Carolina
How to watch Penn State Nittany Lions: Live stream info, TV channel, game time | Dec. 29
The North Carolina Central Eagles (4-10) and Freddie Filione V’s Penn State Nittany Lions (8-4) hit the court at Bryce Jordan Center on Monday, Dec. 29, beginning at 1 p.m. ET.
We provide more details below, and that includes how to watch this game on TV.
Here is what you need to prepare for Monday’s college basketball action.
Penn State vs. North Carolina Central: How to watch on TV or live stream
- Game day: Monday, December 29, 2025
- Game time: 1 p.m. ET
- Location: University Park, Pennsylvania
- Arena: Bryce Jordan Center
- TV Channel: BTN
- Live stream: Fubo – Watch NOW (Regional restrictions may apply)
Check out: USA TODAY Sports Coaches Poll
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Penn State vs. North Carolina Central stats and trends
- Penn State is averaging 78.2 points per game (173rd-ranked in college basketball) this season, while surrendering 74.9 points per contest (222nd-ranked).
- The Nittany Lions have struggled to accumulate rebounds this season, ranking 20th-worst in college basketball with 28.6 boards per game. They rank 109th by allowing 29.4 rebounds per contest.
- Penn State ranks 249th in college basketball with 13.5 dimes per contest.
- The Nittany Lions rank 10th-best in college basketball by averaging only 9 turnovers per game. In terms of forced turnovers, they rank 159th in college basketball (12.3 per contest).
- This year, Penn State is draining 6.8 threes per game (276th-ranked in college basketball) and is shooting 34% (181st-ranked) from three-point land.
- The Nittany Lions rank 324th in college basketball by allowing 9.4 three-pointers per game, but they are allowing a 37.8% shooting percentage from beyond the arc, which ranks ninth-worst in college basketball.
- Penn State is attempting 38.7 two-pointers per game this year, which account for 65.8% of the shots it has attempted (and 75.9% of the team’s baskets). Meanwhile, it is attempting 20.1 three-pointers per contest, which are 34.2% of its shots (and 24.1% of the team’s buckets).
Penn State vs. North Carolina Central Odds and Spread
- Spread Favorite: Nittany Lions (-22.5)
- Moneyline: Penn State (-12500), North Carolina Central (+2600)
- Total: 149.5 points
NCAA Basketball odds courtesy of BetMGM Sportsbook. Odds updated Monday at 2:23 a.m. ET. For a full list of sports betting odds, access USA TODAY Sports Betting Scores Odds Hub.
Watch college basketball on Fubo!
Follow the latest college sports coverage at College Sports Wire.
While the North Carolina Tar Heels’ defense has been the most consistent feature of the team, the offensive operation has been up and down throughout the course of the season.
Those struggles extended into December, but with Seth Trimble returning to the lineup, there have been glimpses of what the offense can be when at full strength. The veteran guard had missed nine consecutive games, dating back to early November. Trimble had not played since Nov. 7 against the Kansas Jayhawks.
Let’s take a closer look at how North Carolina’s offense performed in the month of December.
Assessing the Tar Heels Offense in December
Through the first six games of this month, North Carolina is averaging 79.1 points per game, which is inflated by a 99-point outing against East Carolina this past Monday. The scoring output has not been the issue for Tar Heels. The problem has been the team’s slow starts, specifically when Trimble was not in the lineup.
While speaking with the media earlier this month, head coach Hubert Davis discussed North Carolina’s sluggish starts and how it was becoming problematic.
- “I don’t want them to take time because every team is different,” Davis said. “When you go into conference play, everybody has a way that they play on both ends of the floor. I don’t want to get off to slow starts. I felt like we did. It wasn’t just defensively. I didn’t feel like we were sharp on the offensive end. I think the first 12 shots that we took, seven of them were from three.”
- “I thought on both ends of the floor it took us a little while to get into the rhythm, and once we did, which it started with us defensively, I felt like it translated on the offensive end as well,” Davis said.
- “No, I don’t. I wouldn’t necessarily say that we’ve consistently gotten off to slow starts,” Davis said. “I would say that at times we haven’t been consistent at the beginning, where we’ve gotten off to a fast start and then we had a four- or six-minute lull on both ends of the floor. We allow a team to come back. We’re in a situation where maybe we could extend the lead.”
It is difficult to say that North Carolina has completely figured it out in Trimble’s first two games back in the fold, as the Tar Heels were lackluster in the first half against Ohio State, but were firing on all cylinders against East Carolina. It is somewhere in the middle, but conference play will reveal exactly where this offense stands. Overall, the offensive performance was a mixed bag in December.
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North Carolina
Wendell woman shares experience at an immigration detention center after being released
WENDELL, N.C. (WTVD) — A Wendell woman, detained by Border Patrol for more than a month, is sharing her experience at an immigration detention center after being released earlier this week.
Fatima Velazquez-Antonio was detained by Border Patrol agents on Nov. 18 while at an HVAC job site in Raleigh. For the last month, she stayed at a detention center in Georgia.
After having bond denied, she was finally released on Monday, and returned home to North Carolina on Tuesday. Her attorney had to file a habeas corpus petition, asking a judge to determine whether her detainment was legal.
“I’m so happy to be back home with my family,” said Velazquez.
It felt like an eternity.
– Fatima Velazquez-Antonio, on her month in immigration detention
Her boyfriend, Bryan Sanchez, said her return home was the greatest Christmas gift they could have asked for.
“I mean, it’s amazing that we got her back home,” he said.
Fatima Velazquez-Antonio came to the U.S. from Honduras as an unaccompanied minor at 14.
Velazquez came to the U.S. from Honduras as an unaccompanied minor at 14.
According to federal documents, Velazquez has no aggravated felony convictions, and the government identified her detainment as involving a non-criminal individual.
As previously reported, Velazquez’s attorney said Velazquez has no criminal record, and said she was allowed to stay in the country as her asylum case processed.
ABC11 asked Velazquez whether she received any explanation as to why she was detained.
“No, no one gave me any explanation,” she said.
For the last month, Velazquez said she spent 24 hours a day in a room with 60 other women.
“When you go to the bathroom, you have no privacy. It’s the same thing when you have to bathe. Everyone can see you,” she said. “It’s hard.”
Velazquez said her faith kept her strong.
“I prayed to God every day. Every day after I woke up and before I went to bed,” she said. “I asked him to help me, give me patience, and give me the strength to get through my ordeal. But it felt like an eternity.”
She said seeing the support from people in Wake County also helped her get through her time at the detention center, including a rally held by neighbors and elected leaders calling for her release.
“All the community and the governor, the congresswoman. I mean, all of that support helped a lot,” said Sanchez. “We appreciate that a lot, with all my heart.”
Velazquez said she hopes that one day she can personally thank everyone who has shared her story and called for her release.
“I know many of them didn’t know me, but I have to thank them from the bottom of my heart for their support,” she said. “Just, thank you so much. One day, I’d like to see them and thank them in person.”
Velazquez and her family are raising money to cover her legal expenses.
Sanchez is saving up money again to eventually buy her an engagement ring. The money he was saving for the ring had to be spent to retain an attorney for her.
Velazquez has a hearing next week for her case.
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