Advocacy

The North Carolina General Assembly (NCGA) recently passed HB 1089 – Constitutional Amendment Property Tax Levy Limit. The legislation will put a constitutional amendment on the ballot during the 2026 midterm election that asks voters if the NCGA should limit their local property tax bills.

The affordable housing crisis in our community is urgent. Habitat Wake is committed to innovating to meet the scale of need, including through systemic policy change across the housing continuum. Every year, Habitat Wake sets policy priorities that reflect the most important housing issues we need to tackle as a community.

The following is a speech from Habitat Wake founder Rick Beech, delivered to the Apex Town Council on February 10, 2026

I have lived in Apex since 1998. I love living at the “Peak of Good Living”. I was fortunate to move here when families with modest incomes, including many public servants, could afford to live here. I passionately speak tonight with the hope that Apex could again be a place where public servants can live and serve. I plead for the Town’s help so that the dream of serving and living in Apex does not stop with my generation.

Last week, Habitat Homeowner Rae joined nearly 500 Habitat for Humanity leaders, supporters and homeowners in Washington, D.C. to participate in the annual Habitat on the Hill Conference. This gathering provides a platform for Habitat affiliates across the nation to meet with lawmakers and urge them to act on affordable housing solutions. For Rae, it was also an opportunity to share her story directly with her representatives.

The U.S. is currently short an estimated 800,000 homes attainable for low-and-moderate-income homebuyers. This shortage is just one of many factors contributing to the housing crisis facing our country. In many states, Habitat for Humanity is the only affordable homebuilder at work, making our role more crucial than ever.

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Historic discrimination in U.S. housing policy has been a driver of inequalities that persist today. At Habitat Wake, we know we have a responsibility to raise awareness about the continuing effects of these policies and to advocate for opportunities that increase affordable housing access for all.  

"I grew up in Washington, DC, uptown on Peabody Street. My great-great-great-grandmother bought that home, and it stayed in our family for generations. It was the house I grew up in. My grandmother was the last one to have it. The house was fully paid off, but we lost it to outstanding property taxes in 1998. We learned later that because my grandmother was over 62, she could have had the taxes forgiven. What really sticks with me is how much we didn’t know. If you don’t know something, you can’t fight against it."

Applause rang out throughout the Apex Town Council chambers when Senior Pastor Jose Luis of Iglesia Fiesta Cristiana started his public statement with a powerful Martin Luther King Jr. quote: “there is nothing new about poverty, however, what is new is that we have the resources to get rid of it.”

Remarks to the Cary Town Council from Rev. Melinda Merkley King, transitional pastor at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church

Hello Cary Town Council and fellow members of the Cary Community. I am Melinda Merkley King, and I currently serve as transitional pastor at Cornerstone Presbyterian Church in Cary. Our congregation would certainly supply willing workers for this project should it be approved.