Housing
Engagement Week Events Focus on Affordable Housing and Community
January 14, 2025

Carolina Engagement Week events will be held during the week of February 24-28, 2025. A series of events hosted by Carolina Across 100, the ncIMPACT Initiative, and campus partners will engage attendees in conversations about affordable housing, the importance of community collaboration, and the impact of community-engaged scholarship.
These events are open to the public! Members of the community from across North Carolina are encouraged to attend, along with Carolina students, staff, and faculty. Carolina students interested in participating in the 2025 POV Challenge will get a jumpstart on Engagement Week, with registration and submission deadlines in mid-February. Make plans to join us for one or more of these events!
Make plans to join us for one or more of these events!
POV Challenge 2025 – Winners Receive $500
Dates: Register by Feb. 14. Submissions due Feb. 23. Winners announced Feb. 27.
Location: Register and Enter Submissions Online. Winners Announced at the Carolina Engagement Week Reception.
Carolina undergraduate and graduate students, we need your POV (point of view) on affordable housing in North Carolina! Choose one of our three POV Challenge prompts. Work as a team (2-5 students). Do your own research on the topic. Then get creative, using your skills and talents to convey what you learned and what you think. All submissions will be on display at the 2025 Engagement Week reception on February 27. Two top prizes of $500 will be awarded, as well as honorable mentions. Enjoy music and refreshments while networking with judges, UNC leaders, and community partners. Your work will be shared with Our State, Our Homes teams across North Carolina as they collaborate to improve access to and availability of affordable housing options in our state. Don’t miss out on this unique opportunity to show off your skills and serve our state. Find details about this CLE-approved event and register your team through the 2025 POV Challenge page by February 14 at 5:00 PM.
How to Use Data to Assess Local Housing Needs
Date: Wednesday, Feb. 26, 2025, from 2:00 – 3:00 PM
Location: Hybrid Event – Attend by Zoom or in-person at the UNC School of Government – Room 2403
REGISTER TO ATTEND BY ZOOM or REGISTER TO ATTEND IN PERSON
Nearly all communities across North Carolina face a shortage of affordable, high-quality homes for low-to-moderate-income households. However, each community has unique challenges that require tailored solutions. For local governments, understanding what drives rising housing costs is a crucial first step toward developing effective responses.
In this seminar, experts from the UNC-Chapel Hill School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative will show how to use publicly available data to quantify and assess housing needs across both rural and urban communities. Attendants will learn how to measure housing needs among low-to-moderate income households, assess the supply of affordable and adequate housing, and learn about other methods to better understand housing needs on a neighborhood scale and by engaging with the community.
Defining Engaged Scholarship: A Shared Vision for Carolina
Date: Feb. 27 from 3:30 – 4:45 PM
Location: UNC School of Government, Knapp-Sanders Building – Room 2603
Engaged scholarship is an important vehicle for delivering on the University’s mission and values, and as Carolina Engagement Week demonstrates, our campus is home to a vast, impressive range of community-engaged scholarship efforts. However, the variety of approaches to this work from different disciplines and units raises questions about how the University community collectively understands and promotes engaged scholarship across campus. How does engaged scholarship fit within the University’s overall research enterprise? How is engaged scholarship distinct from the University’s public service mission and activities? What University-wide resources are available to support deeper and more impactful engagement with communities? In this interactive panel discussion with campus leaders, we will discuss these questions to work toward a shared, campus-wide vision for engaged scholarship.
Following the session, join Carolina Across 100, the Carolina Center for Public Service, and other partners for a reception celebrating Carolina Engagement Week 2025. Hosted at the UNC School of Government, hear from campus leaders about exciting campus and community partnerships. Enjoy music and refreshments. Student submissions from the 2025 POV Challenge will be on display and winners will be announced. Don’t miss this fun campus event celebrating Carolina’s ongoing work with North Carolina communities. Please register separately for the 2025 Engagement Week Reception .
Carolina Engagement Week Reception 2025
Date: Feb. 27 from 5:00 – 6:00 PM
Location: UNC School of Government, Knapp-Sanders Building – Atrium
Join Carolina Across 100 and the Carolina Center for Public Service for a reception celebrating Carolina Engagement Week 2025. Hosted at the UNC School of Government, hear from campus leaders about exciting campus and community partnerships. Enjoy music and refreshments. Student submissions from the 2025 POV Challenge will be on display and winners will be announced. Don’t miss this fun campus event celebrating Carolina’s ongoing work with North Carolina communities.
Keep Learning
Find more data and resources focused on addressing affordable housing needs in North Carolina communities:
Carolina Across 100 is a five-year initiative, led by the ncIMPACT Initiative, seeking to support community-driven recovery and build sustainable efforts in all 100 counties by providing human resources, data insights, coaching, facilitation, coordination efforts, and program design. “Our State, Our Homes” is the fifth program in this larger initiative.