Op-Ed: Post-Helene NC Housing Market Needs Private Support
Months before Hurricane Helene, UNC-Chapel Hill warned that North Carolina faced a shortage of “decent, secure, and affordable housing.” After Helene destroyed 100,000 homes, the crisis deepened. While efforts to strengthen the housing market are underway, recent proposals risk cutting off a critical source of supply.
North Carolina lawmakers have already attempted to push private capital out of the housing market at both the state and federal levels. Although well-intentioned, these policies overlook the lack of housing supply and its primary causes: lengthy permitting processes, bureaucratic red tape, and outdated zoning regulations. North Carolina cannot afford policies that discourage private investment. Institutional investors have the capital, scale, and relationships to quickly and efficiently revitalize existing homes and build new ones, including single-family rentals, that provide flexible, affordable options when they’re needed most.
The solution is clear: build more homes of all kinds. To make North Carolina’s housing more affordable and abundant, lawmakers must create a market that welcomes housing providers and removes barriers to construction.
Rev. G.E. Parker of Clayton, NC
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