Solutions to Affordable Housing | Eastern North Carolina Now

Tom Campbell
    Every human requires food, clothing, shelter, air and water to survive. Many of us don't worry about these basic needs, but food scarcity and shelter are concerns for too many North Carolinians.

    It is hard to get an exact count of how many are homeless, but the Department of Housing and Urban Development suggests some 9,300 are homeless in our state on any given day. To illustrate, Raleigh reports 6,000 are homeless while Charlotte counts 3,500, already more than the HUD projection. Many are without shelter due to substance abuse, but about 70 percent are homeless because of a recent situation like a death, fire, or abuse. Shelters are few and beds are scarce and even if the homeless can find shelter and stabilize their lives there is a bottleneck of available affordable housing

    Affordable housing is defined as that costing less than 30 percent of a person or family's income. In an Elon University poll released this week 68 percent of respondents say it is somewhat or very challenging for a family earning $50,000 per year to find affordable housing in their community. In urban areas, where work is more readily available, affordable rentals are expensive. RENTCafe, a website devoted to rentals, reports the average cost of renting a two-bedroom apartment in our state is $900, with rents averaging $1,234 in Charlotte, $1,222 in Raleigh and $1,177 in Wilmington.

    Do the math. Just to afford the state average of $900 per month a person would have to earn $36,000 per year - more than $17 per hour - and work 52 hours each month just to pay rent. The Census ACS survey shows average per capita income is $29,500 ($14.20 per hour). At that income, using the 30 percent yardstick, rent of no more than $737.50 per month would be considered affordable.

    There are federal housing vouchers available for low income residents and some Section 8 housing, but supply is a problem. Reportedly, only 43 homes are available for every 100 families needing affordable housing. 69 percent of those surveyed in the Elon Poll said the government needs to take action to increase the amount of affordable housing.

    In most urban areas, where jobs are more plentiful, the cost of land rules out most affordable housing. A one-third acre buildable site, with available water and sewer, inside Raleigh's city limits begins at around $200,000 and, depending on zip code, can cost three times that amount. One solution is to find ways to reduce the cost of land.

    Government regulations must also be examined. None of us wants to sacrifice safety and quality but zoning regulations need review, along with inspection and permitting costs. Five years ago my family undertook a comprehensive remodel of a single-story 2,000-foot home and permit and inspection fees added $5,000 to the costs. Regulation reform can help but won't solve the affordable housing crisis.

    One solution being increasingly advocated is to raise the minimum wage. To be sure the price of all goods and services will likely increase proportionately but this could help low-income workers.

    We don't and won't suggest that government alone is the solution to affordable housing, but like it or not, government must be part of the solution. Public-private partnerships are likely essential, led by compassionate, visionary and practical minds who can devise solutions that don't create more problems than we solve. It has always been the North Carolina way to help those less fortunate, so understand you and I are also part of solving this crisis. Affordable housing is a problem that won't solve itself.


    Publisher's note: Tom Campbell is former assistant North Carolina State Treasurer and is creator/host of NC SPIN, a weekly statewide television discussion of NC issues that airs on UNC-TV main channel Fridays at 7:30pm, Sundays 12:30pm and UNC North Carolina Channel Fridays at 10:00pm, Saturdays at 4:00pm and Sundays at 10:00am. Contact Tom at NC Spin.
Go Back


Leave a Guest Comment

Your Name or Alias
Your Email Address ( your email address will not be published)
Enter Your Comment ( no code or urls allowed, text only please )




Iranian Health Official Who Insisted Coronavirus Under Control Contracts Disease My Spin, Editorials, Op-Ed & Politics Governor Offers Reward for Information Related to Damage to Hickory Police Department Vehicles


HbAD0

Latest Op-Ed & Politics

Be careful what you wish for, you may get it
Former President Donald Trump suggested this week that if he becomes president again, he might allow Prince Harry to be deported.
It's a New Year, which means it's time to make resolutions — even for prominent evangelical leaders. The Babylon Bee asked the following well-known figures in the faith what they hope to accomplish in 2024:
Vice President Kamala Harris will visit a Minnesota Planned Parenthood clinic, reportedly the first time a president or vice president has visited an abortion facility.
An eight-mile stretch of the Blue Ridge Parkway near Asheville has been temporarily closed due to a string of “human and bear interactions,” the National Parks Service announced.
University of Wisconsin tried to punish conservatives for the fact that liberals regularly commit crimes to silence opposition

HbAD1

most voters think EU officials not doing a good job on illegal immigration
Come from behind by GOP candidate is a blueprint to 2024
Biden spending and energy policies to blame
Tuberculosis carried by illegal invaders has already infected Texas cattle
Sen. Ted Cruz (R-TX) said this week that the only campaign promise President Joe Biden has delivered on as president is the complete dismantling of the U.S. southern border.

HbAD2

Hamas is reeling after losing two of their most cherished leaders on the same day: military commander Saleh al-Arouri, and Harvard President Claudine Gay.

HbAD3

 
Back to Top