A team representing Rowan County was selected to participate in UNC-Chapel Hill’s Carolina Across 100 initiative “Our State, Our Homes.”

The 18-month program will help communities develop capacity, analyze challenges, and implement strategies to address affordable housing and related issues in North Carolina.

On Wednesday, the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Across 100 initiative announced 14 community teams across North Carolina have been selected for the Our State, Our Homes program.

The university will work with community teams to improve access to and availability of affordable housing options in the state. The teams — made up of business, civic, education, nonprofit, faith-based and government entities representing 22 counties from the mountains to the coast — will receive a variety of supports, all aimed at connecting their communities with the tools and resources needed to assess and make collaborative decisions on how to respond productively to local affordable housing contexts. 

The statewide program is offered in recognition of the growing challenges with housing affordability across the state. Nearly one-third of households in North Carolina are considered cost-burdened, meaning that they spend more than 30 percent of their income on housing. That lack of affordable housing options poses a barrier to attracting employers and workers, limits households’ economic positions, and adversely impacts health outcomes. 

Chancellor Lee H. Roberts announced the program, entitled “Our State, Our Homes” in September. 

“This university exists to serve the people of this state,” said Chancellor Lee Roberts. “As such, the University is proud to offer this program bringing together experts, on our campus and in communities, who are focused on addressing housing needs in our state.

“Through Carolina Across 100, we are dedicated to responding to the greatest challenges facing communities in each of North Carolina’s 100 counties by bringing our many campus resources to bear to support them.”  

The selected groups represent urban, suburban and rural areas across the state facing myriad challenges impacting housing supply including population growth, aging housing stock, environmental hazards and rising construction costs. 

Participating communities will emerge from the 18-month program with a data-driven understanding of housing issues in their local contexts, high-impact tools to facilitate community conversations around housing needs, detailed understanding of local partners and assets, and increased knowledge and capacity to implement innovative strategies for improving housing affordability. In addition, teams will receive coaching, technical assistance with innovation projects and opportunities to build relationships with peer communities as well as national, state, and campus-based housing experts across the state. Those supports reflect the significant affordable housing expertise on campus, including from the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative. 

“Affordable housing needs are too complex for any one town or county to address alone,” said Sarah Odio, associate director at DFI. “We are eager to connect local leaders with our specialized finance and development expertise as they collaborate with their peers across the state to spark new ideas for local solutions.” 

Anita Brown-Graham, director of the ncIMPACT Initiative and lead coordinator for Carolina Across 100, said she was struck by the passion and dedication conveyed by the groups who applied.  

“The demand for this program was strong, with 87 counties showing interest,” Brown-Graham said. “Ultimately, over half of our counties in NC applied, representing the largest number of applicants for any Carolina Across 100 program.”

“We know this means the interest is high and we are committed to sharing program resources and findings to help all North Carolina communities benefit from the work of the Our State, Our Homes teams. We are thankful to the Chancellor’s Office, Dogwood Health Trust and Camber Foundation for making this work possible.”