Housing
Collaborative Approaches to Address Housing Needs in North Carolina
Jacob Hunter, Lead Data and Policy Analyst, ncIMPACT Initiative
October 4, 2024
To better understand the affordable housing landscape in North Carolina, Carolina Across 100 conducted informational interviews with 25 housing experts across the state. These local leaders included representatives from local governments, housing developers, nonprofit organizations, faith-based organizations, academic institutions, and more. Despite the range of housing challenges affecting their communities, a common theme throughout all interviews was the importance of collaboration and partnership to create meaningful change.
Cross-Sector Collaboration is Essential
Every person we talked with, no matter their sector, acknowledged that North Carolina’s housing shortage cannot be solved by one organization or community. Because of the complex nature of housing, diverse resources and perspectives are necessary to address the variety of issues that communities are facing. Public, private, and nonprofit partners each bring specialized expertise, capacity, and networks that are critical to addressing affordable housing challenges and related issues holistically.
As housing challenges have grown since the COVID-19 pandemic, stakeholders from each of these sectors have become increasingly engaged in efforts to meet housing needs across the state. As these partnerships become more common, it is important to share lessons learned and build upon strategies that have proven to be effective. Below are just a few examples of successful partnerships and collaborative strategies that we heard about during our interviews.
What Might Work for Your Community?
Whether your community has experience engaging in these types of collaborative efforts or you’re just starting to explore potential opportunities, the time to act is now. Carolina Across 100’s new program, “Our State, Our Homes” offers the chance to connect deeply with other stakeholders in your community and across the state who are working to improve access to and availability of affordable housing options through cross-sector collaboration.
Learn more about this program by finding FAQs, webinar recordings, and other resources on our application page. The deadline to apply is November 22. Remember to stay connected with Carolina Across 100 to continue learning about strategies to address affordable housing needs in North Carolina.
Get Involved
Carolina Across 100 is a five-year Carolina initiative housed at the School of Government’s ncIMPACT Initiative. This pan-University effort, guided by the Carolina Engagement Council, will form meaningful partnerships with communities in all 100 North Carolina counties to respond to challenges stemming from or exacerbated by COVID-19. “Our State, Our Work” is the first program of Carolina Across 100, connecting young adults to living wage employment opportunities. “Our State, Our Wellbeing” is the second program, focused on improving mental health and reducing suicide in North Carolina. The Rural Pharmacy Health Initiative is the fourth program of Carolina Across 100. Our State, Our Homes is the fifth program, partnering to address affordable housing issues in North Carolina.