Overview
- Gov. Josh Stein, who signed an executive order Tuesday, directed a whole-of-government push to increase housing supply and lower costs across North Carolina.
- Stein named Janneke Ratcliffe, formerly of the Urban Institute, as senior advisor for housing policy to shape the state’s strategy and coordinate work with agencies, cities and builders.
- At the General Assembly, lawmakers advanced a proposed constitutional amendment to cap yearly local property tax hikes and are debating HB 1072 to create a revolving loan fund for early project costs like site work and utility hookups.
- State data describe the scale of need, including a projected shortfall of more than 750,000 homes by 2029, about half of renters paying over 30% of income on housing, more than 40,000 families on subsidy waitlists, and teachers in 23 counties unable to afford fair-market rent where they work.
- The plan emphasizes workforce training to address a shortage of construction labor and calls for more varied options such as starter homes, backyard cottages and factory-built housing to match demand.