Stein signs executive order directing agencies to address housing affordability
RALEIGH, N.C. — Gov. Josh Stein has signed an executive order directing cabinet agencies to work together on housing supply, affordability and access as North Carolina faces rising home prices, population growth and local infrastructure pressure.
Executive Order No. 36, signed May 19, directs cabinet agencies to coordinate on housing opportunities and to use technology for data-driven solutions, according to the Governor’s Office.
The order cites a 2025 housing gap analysis that found North Carolina has an estimated shortage of 764,000 available homes through 2029, including 322,000 rental homes and 442,000 homes for purchase. It also says about half of renter households are housing cost burdened, meaning they pay more than 30% of their income for shelter, and that affordability for buyers declined in all 100 counties from 2020 through 2025.
“Too many families are struggling to make rent or afford a home,” Stein said in the announcement. “This executive order directs a whole-of-government approach to get more homes of all types built and make homeownership more accessible and affordable for North Carolinians.”
The order also says nearly half of homes available for purchase in North Carolina are listed at approximately $400,000 or more and that a household would need an annual income of $110,000 to spend less than 30% of income on a $400,000 mortgage.
As part of the announcement, Stein named Janneke Ratcliffe as senior adviser for housing policy. The Governor’s Office said Ratcliffe will work with local and tribal governments, state agencies and other partners to define a statewide housing strategy, establish measurable goals and communicate housing policy. Ratcliffe previously served as vice president of the Housing and Communities Division at the Urban Institute, according to the Governor’s Office.
The executive order points to several related housing barriers, including transportation costs, housing instability, reentry after incarceration, veteran homelessness, aging housing stock, private wells and water infrastructure problems, inherited property issues and shortages in licensed trades professionals.
The order itself does not create a housing appropriation. The Governor’s Office said Stein’s recommended budget for fiscal year 2026-27 includes housing investments, including support for affordable housing, rental preservation, emergency home repairs, the Housing Trust Fund, the Workforce Housing Loan Program and grants to local governments tied to higher-density zoning policies.
The policy question now moves to implementation. State agencies can coordinate programs and collect data under the executive order, but large-scale housing production, infrastructure expansion, zoning incentives and state housing investments may require legislative, local government or private-sector action.
For North Carolina readers, the order matters because housing affordability is no longer only a local planning issue. The Stein administration is placing housing inside the state’s broader economic development, workforce and infrastructure agenda.
Editor’s note: This article was drafted with the assistance of artificial intelligence and was reviewed and fact-checked by a member of the NC Political News editorial team before publication.
