NO WAY
HOME? AFFORDABLE HOUSING ADVOCATES DESCRIBE SIGNIFICANT CHALLENGES
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BY JENNY CALLISON | PHOTOS BY ARIS HARDING
ushrooming apartment developments. A steady stream of new residents fueling the Cape Fear real estate market. Record-setting luxury home sales. A healthy demand for housing is a positive indicator of the area’s economy, right? But there’s a flip side, say local housing advocates: Increasing numbers of existing residents can’t find housing they can afford. “Land is in very short supply in New Hanover County and Wilmington, and that has a huge impact on (housing) affordability,” said Steve Spain, executive director of Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity. “Scarcity and price go together, and that has been a challenge for Habitat.” As an example of the impact that a hot housing market can have on low- to moderate-income residents, Spain points to two homes in Habitat’s new development off Gordon Road in Wilmington. A recently completed home appraised at almost 16% more than an
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identical home completed last July. It’s not just demand driving higher prices: The rapidly rising cost of building materials is also a contributor, Spain added. The lack of workforce housing issue goes beyond Habitat’s ability to develop homes for which its partner-buyers can afford the mortgage. “Housing affordability is a community issue,” said Rachel LaCoe, New Hanover County’s workforce planner. “Having housing that is affordable near jobs is valuable for both workers and employers. It attracts a diverse workforce, provides financial security, improves mental health and developmental outcomes and boosts academic achievement.” Acknowledging the problem, the city and county established the New Hanover County/ City of Wilmington Workforce Housing Advisory Committee, which is finishing up a housing study with recommendations to the city and county on how they can address the issue and prepare for the growth this area will inevitably see. Committee chairman David Spetrino, president of PBC Design + Build, said that in addition to limited land and rising home costs, two other factors work against development of more affordable housing units in New Hanover County. One is the stigma that the concept of workforce housing carries. “As much as we need affordable housing, there are neighbors who will come out against 2 0 2 1
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