On August 11, women ULI members gathered to discuss affordable housing and the realities in the Charlotte market.  Beginning with a review of The New Yorker article titled Forced Out, Pam Wideman, Deputy Director of Neighborhood and Business Services, lead a discussion of the shocking circumstances for families in our community.  Some of the general discussions included:

• The City of Charlotte estimates there are 34,000 affordable housing units are needed in community today.
• Some of our community has a fear of affordable housing in their neighborhood.  There is a misconception that affordable doesn’t look good.
• Charlotte is a best practices city and has a local housing tax credit program to assist in the production of new units.
• Several upcoming projects are including an affordable housing segment in their multifamily units.
• A challenge for developers that don’t normally produce affordable units is the managing of the tenant requirements/qualifications once the units are constructed and leased.
• Within Charlotte, The Housing Partnership provides counseling on home ownership and foreclosure as a resource.
• Belief that stabilizing a neighborhood with home ownership provides pride and stability so families can focus on education (which also leads to a stronger community).
• City of Charlotte has grant programs for down payment and rehab assistance for qualified homeowners.
• Can inclusionary housing policy help?  It would require NC enabling legislation to adopt in Charlotte.
• How can we get to “Yes in my backyard”?