Voting is a powerful way to support affordable housing at every level of government. Federal, state, and local elections all have an impact on housing.
Key Dates
- Oct 9, 2026 | Voter registration deadline
- Oct 15 – Oct 31, 2026 | Early voting period
- Tuesday, November 3 | Election Day
Quick Tips: Make sure to bring a photo ID to vote (e.g. an NC driver’s license). Check your registration to make sure it’s updated to your current address. And don’t forget to flip your ballot for the local races!
Where to Vote
There are three main ways to cast your ballot:
Vote early in person at any early voting location between Oct 15–Oct 31. Vote Early in Person.
Vote in person on Election Day at your assigned polling place (polls open from 6:30am – 7:30pm). Find your polling place.
Vote by absentee ballot. The deadline to request an absentee ballot is 5pm the Tuesday before Election Day.
Make Your Plan
Making a voting plan helps you commit to going to the polls and ensure your voice is heard. Start by updating your registration. Next, decide how you’ll vote. Will you vote early, on Election Day, or by mail (absentee)? Finally, plan when you'll go—before or after work, or maybe with your church group or friends.
Habitat Greater Raleigh Candidate Questionnaire
Habitat Greater Raleigh is collecting responses from 2026 local election candidates to share their stances on affordable housing with our network. Affordable housing is a key priority in this election, so please use this resource to inform your decision at the ballot box on November 3!
Check out the candidate’s responses to the questions below to help inform your vote in this election and don’t forget to make a plan to vote!
Habitat Greater Raleigh is a nonpartisan organization. All the information and responses provided come directly from the candidates and is not an endorsement. We invited all candidates running for local office in Wake County and the City of Raleigh this November to respond to this questionnaire.
Wake County Board of Commissioners, At-Large
Christine Kushner
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
I support the focus and plan of Wake County government housing staff, which is centered on crisis housing for unhoused people and families. The recent work to house people who had been living in one of the many encampments in the County is an example of needed work on behalf of the County, working collaboratively with municipalities and supporting residents with essential social and behavioral health services. Working with our 12 municipalities will also be key to expanding the diversity of housing throughout Wake County.
The County also must work collaboratively with the numerous nonprofit organizations that are prioritizing housing affordability and attainability, of course, including Habitat for Humanity. County leaders also must work with private sector leaders to expand housing choices. Land prices continue to rise, stressing the housing market, and permits are not growing as fast as demand. There are both public and private solutions that must be explored, across various partners.
Specifically, if elected, I will reach out to various stakeholders to get their feedback on both problems and solutions, so that I can make sound decisions with Commission colleagues. I also want to make sure County dollars are being invested wisely to expand housing options and move vulnerable people into housing. I also will work with State legislative leaders to impact state regulations that can expand options and supply of housing.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
In my 11 years on the Wake County Board of Education, promoting racial equity, school integration, and anti-discrimination practices was a high priority for me. I will continue to work with an equity lens when I serve on the Wake County Commission. I will support anti-discrimination work and policies, across the spectrum.
I agree that we will not solve our housing crisis until we also address racial discrimination in housing, jobs, education, and society. Anti-discrimination policies must be prioritized, especially for black residents in Wake County who face housing disparities. Housing stability leads to education and workforce stability, and housing stability also supports public safety. County-based strategies should preserve existing housing, as well as long term strategies of adding more affordable developments. County staff should work collaboratively with municipal leaders to address the housing infrastructure needed for our diverse population on a countywide basis. Linking expanded transit options, including Bus Rapid Transit, to housing options remains critical for expanding economic opportunity.
I also want to work with local leaders, such as Men of Southeast Raleigh and the Raleigh Wake Citizens Association, to focus on inequities in housing evaluations. There has been recent documentation of unequal evaluations of properties in Wake County, disproportionately affecting black people. I will work to raise awareness with County staff around those inequities.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
Our housing sector needs to develop more rental options for families, seniors, veterans, and others moving into our community who cannot yet afford to purchase a home and need stable housing. I support the County’s plan to incentivize housing and density in places where there is existing infrastructure. I support a variety of housing options, including ADUs, duplexes and multi-family units, co-housing, and infill development that creates more affordable options. I have a lot to learn about specific strategies, and I would welcome opportunities to learn from community leaders and nonprofits. For example, I am concerned about gentrification, and I want to learn more about options that will allow long-term residents to remain in their homes, while also allowing others to benefit from market forces that are driving our vibrant real estate market.
County government should have policies that support a diversity of housing for our expanding population, so that all can participate in our thriving community. We must build a thriving community that also has great schools, high literacy rates, a vibrant arts community, recreational and sports activities, great parks and greenways, as well as strong local businesses that care for their employees. We have a lot of great advantages here in Wake County, and I will work to protect our quality of life so all can benefit and participate.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
We need a stronger economy that allows for greater economic mobility. While Wake County has a vibrant economy, there are barriers to everyone taking advantage of many opportunities, including affordable housing, transit options, and other ways of connecting people to jobs and secure housing. The cuts from the federal government and lack of infrastructure investments from the state government add huge challenges to local governments in Wake County. State government is not paying their fair share of the operating budget of the Wake County Public School System. Federal cuts to food and health care are straining households, all adding to economic strains and increased instability.
I want to strengthen County programs that support vulnerable families, including social services that provide stability to families and individuals. We must work with nonprofit agencies that provide financial and social programs that provide further support. Boosting job growth and increasing job skills and worker training through Community College programs are key county strategies, within the power of County government.
The County also must make sure the property evaluation system does not place undue burdens on long-time homeowners or those affected by increased gentrification. Data has shown inequities in how evaluations are done, and the system must be fair for all homeowners.
Mona Singh
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
One way in which I will seek to improve the housing situation in Wake County is by promoting higher density residences with convenient access to shared spaces like parks and services like grocery stores and libraries. Developments with pedestrian-friendly layouts help build community by enhancing casual interactions between neighbors. Payoffs include increased social capital and mental health plus helping make public transportation viable, leading to a reduction in the need for single occupancy vehicles.
To this end, first, I will work to streamline the County’s planning processes through improved data gathering and transparency, without affecting our collective objectives such as protecting the environment or building safety. Second, I will work to update land-use requirements such as parking minimums, which raise construction cost and lead to reduced tree cover. Third, I will work to reduce administrative fees for affordable homes. Fourth, through zoning and permitting reforms, I will encourage affordable housing in smaller sizes (e.g., apartments, townhomes, duplexes, and accessory dwelling units) and located where the infrastructure already exists. Fifth, there are cases where approved housing projects do not get built for years; I will work with municipalities to institute better tracking and tighter requirements on showing progress on such projects.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
Marginalized groups such as racial minorities as well as refugees and immigrants (who have additional challenges due to language) suffer due to housing equity in two main respects. Not only is it harder for them to obtain housing through rent or purchase, but when they do obtain housing it is often segregated into locations where access to public services (e.g., libraries, parks, and transportation) and other necessities (e.g., grocery stores) is weak.
Wake County passed a nondiscrimination ordinance. However, the best-intentioned ordinances are not worth much if we don’t track enforcement of individual cases and progress overall (e.g., in reduction of incidents). I will streamline the associated processes, such as for (1) the education of the public as well as landlords, realtors, and other service providers, (2) reporting of violations, (3) adjudicating each report, and (4) overall governance and tracking of our progress across the County.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
First, we can help renters facing hardship by strengthening rental assistance, eviction-prevention programs, and legal services so a temporary financial setback doesn't lead to homelessness.
Second, I would collaborate with municipalities, landlord groups, and non-governmental organizations to seek measurable improvements in housing stability by better tracking rent delinquency, renters assisted, and eviction rates, especially for families with school age children.
Lastly, systemic improvements would help renters too. Increasing housing for low- and moderate-income families will ease the upward pressure on rents; expanding transportation will increase the usable housing supply and thereby reduce rent inflation; workforce training will help families obtain steady incomes to avoid falling behind on rent.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
Median home prices in Wake have risen from $240k in 2016 to $440k today, which beats the overall inflation of 40% since 2016.
To increase affordable home ownership, we need to build more homes in the $250k to $300k price range. Mixed-price neighborhoods can increase home affordability by including apartments, townhomes, and duplexes of different price points. They would also help build stable communities by attracting individuals, young families, and senior citizens. We need to preserve naturally occurring affordable housing. We should avoid replacing such housing with higher priced housing without ensuring that their current residents are not displaced, including rent security as appropriate.
We should provide tax relief for long-term owners of a property. Senior citizens or retirees with moderate or low incomes cannot afford to pay their property taxes. They run the risk of becoming homeless if forced to sell their home and, even if they find housing elsewhere, would lose their social circle by moving.
Kyle Stogoski
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Housing affordability requires us to address both supply and ownership. As Commissioner, I would pursue a “build more, own more” strategy.
First, I would reform zoning and permitting in unincorporated Wake County to make starter homes, duplexes, triplexes, ADUs, and other missing-middle housing easier and faster to build. I support streamlined permitting, reduced unnecessary regulatory barriers, and greater cooperation with municipalities to expand attainable housing countywide.
Second, I want working families competing for homes, not entire neighborhoods competing with institutional investors. I would pursue a first-look initiative that partners with willing sellers and community organizations to give owner-occupants an opportunity to purchase homes before large investors, while supporting community land trusts, and advocating towards state congress to fully bar corporate home purchases.
I would also strengthen pathways to homeownership, prioritize infill and redevelopment where infrastructure already exists, and protect existing homeowners from displacement.
My goal is not simply to subsidize increasingly expensive housing. It is to attack the underlying shortage, expand ownership, reduce unnecessary barriers to construction, and make Wake County a place where working families can still afford to put down roots
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
My approach to racial equity is to remove barriers to homeownership wherever they exist and expand opportunity for families who have been priced out, regardless of race. As stated before, I would make starter homes, duplexes and other attainable housing easier to build; pursue first-look opportunities that give owner-occupants a fair chance against institutional investors; support pathways to homeownership; and protect established homeowners from displacement.
I also believe county programs should be accessible and administered fairly, with outcomes measured to identify genuine barriers rather than making assumptions about residents based on their race.
The best way to build generational wealth is to broaden ownership. My goal is a Wake County where your race, background, or ZIP code does not determine whether you have a realistic opportunity to own a home and build a future.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
The most sustainable way to help renters is to address why rents are rising in the first place: too few homes competing for too many households.
This largely follows my prior statements regarding the ease of housing supply. Increasing supply and competition gives renters more choices and reduces the pressure driving rents upward.
I would also work to prevent excessive concentration of housing in the hands of large institutional landlords, improve transparency and enforcement of basic housing standards, and ensure county services can quickly assist families facing a temporary crisis before it becomes an eviction or homelessness.
But I don't want our long-term ambition to simply be making renting more manageable. For renters who want to become homeowners, we should create a realistic pathway to ownership. That means more starter homes, first-look opportunities for owner-occupants, support for community land trusts, and removing regulatory barriers that make entry-level homes unnecessarily expensive.
Renters deserve safe housing, genuine choices, and a housing market where rising income can eventually translate into ownership and generational wealth.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
Affordable homeownership requires us to protect the people who already have a foothold while creating opportunities for the next generation to gain one.
For existing homeowners, I want Wake County to be proactive about preventing displacement. That includes better connecting eligible seniors, disabled residents, and lower-income homeowners with property-tax relief already available under state law; supporting targeted home-repair assistance that prevents families from losing otherwise livable homes; and prioritizing neighborhood stability as property values rise.
For aspiring homeowners, we need an ownership ladder. A family should be able to move from renting, to an entry-level home, to building equity and financial security. I would focus county housing efforts on creating those opportunities, including partnerships that preserve homes for owner-occupancy, community land trusts, and policies that give ordinary buyers a stronger position against institutional investors.
Growth should create wealth for the people who live here, not simply increase the value of the land beneath them until they can no longer afford to stay. My objective is to make prosperity broad enough that longtime residents can remain in Wake County and new generations can afford to become owners themselves.
Gary D. Hartong
Candidate did not respond to Habitat's questionnaire. You can encourage them to submit their responses by emailing them at garyforwake@gmail.com
Wake County Board of Commissioners, District 01
Don Mial (I)
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
We at the County are already working towards trying to resolve the housing issue here in Wake County. We created a housing department in 2018 and we have met with all 12 of the municipalities in order to collaborate with them to help find a solution to housing. We continue to work with different organizations such as Habitat for Humanities.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
We will continue support all citizens in Wake County to locate affordable housing regardless of race.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
Continue to work with all to find a solution for affordable housing and ask all agencies to set aside a percentage of their new housing for those that need help.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
By continuing to work with all agencies in Wake County as well as different developers, lending institutions and our own housing department.
Wake County Board of Commissioners, District 02
John B. Adcock
Candidate did not respond to Habitat's questionnaire. You can encourage them to submit their responses by emailing them at John.adcock.nc@gmail.com
Safiyah Jackson (I)
Candidate did not respond to Habitat's questionnaire. You can encourage them to submit their responses by emailing them at Safiyah@teamjacksonfornc.com.
Wake County Board of Commissioners, District 03
Cheryl F. Stallings (I)
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Since 2019, Wake County has preserved or created over 6,000 affordable housing units. Our current strategic plan has affordable housing, and making unsheltered homelessness rare, brief, and non-recurring top priorities. We have as our current goal 2,500 more affordable housing units by 2029. Additionally, we have a very robust Housing Affordability & Community Revitalization department (www.wake.gov/housing) the manages several programs that assist residents in need of more affordable housing (and that I support).
Examples include:
1) Affordable Housing Development Program - which provides low-interest loans for low-income rental housing developments and rehabilitation
2) Housing Opportunity Fund (financing tool that helps affordable housing developers stay competitive and build options for lower income residents across all parts of the county)
3) Affordable Housing Preservation Fund (Backed by Wake County, the City of Raleigh, and banking partners, financing is available for developers to rehabilitate and preserve existing affordable multifamily rental housing)
4) the Bridge to Home and Landlord Engagement Unit (Programs that provide landlords incentives and help transition people experiencing homelessness into permanent residences).
Additionally, we launched in January 2026, our Affordable Housing Impact Tracker. This is an interactive tool that is public facing - so all can see the work that has been done to date with affordable housing across Wake County.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
Our Wake County Register of Deeds, Tammy Brunner, led the "Racially Restrictive Covenants Project" that was released to the public in May of 2026. With many volunteers, the project catalogued over 14,000 historic property deeds that contained racially discriminatory language from 1900 to 1950. This project includes a searchable, interactive public map that acknowledges past systemic segregation and demonstrates the long term impacts on neighborhood wealth and resources.
As for Wake County government programs aimed to help address some of these concerns, we have anti-displacement and home repair funding. These funds are used to combat gentrification and prevent long-term residents from historically Black neighborhoods from losing their homes. The County allocates funding and works with community partners like Habitat for Humanity Greater Raleigh to make major home system repairs and emergency utility/cooling assistance for lower-income households. Additionally, the County invests millions of dollars and receives some federal grants (such as HOME and CDBG) to build and preserve affordable rental and homeownership units.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
Our County, supported by me as a Commissioner, has several programs that help renters through direct financial assistance, legal aid partnerships, landlord incentive programs, and affordable housing development. Our Wake Prevent! program provides emergency rental and utility assistance of up to $5,000 for households facing late rent - to stop the eviction process. Our House Wake! initiative incorporates emergency relief, landlord negotiation, and relocation services for people at risk of losing their homes. Our Lease 2 Home program rewards landlords with signing bonuses, renewal bonuses, and risk mitigation funds for housing individuals who are facing a variety of barriers and challenges.
Additionally, we collaborate and build strong community partners in this work as well. Legal Aid of NC partners with the County to supply pro bono legal representation and mediation for tenants facing filed evictions or negotiating with landlords. Triangle Family Services offer HUD-approved housing counseling, financial education, and case management services as well.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
There are several efforts I support that Wake County implements to help with affordable homeownership and the prevention of resident displacement. The Wake County Affordable Homeownership Program, in partnership with DHIC, offers forgivable, no-monthly-payment loans of up to $50,000 for low- to moderate-income households. Funds apply to down payments and closing costs for homes outside of the Cary and Raleigh municipalities (they have their own assistance programs). The County also partners with Habitat of Greater Raleigh to provide low-interest mortgages and utilize public land to construct new single- and multi-family homes. Partnership with DHIC includes dedicated financial counseling and emergency legal mediation to protect homeowners facing economic difficulties.
As referenced earlier, the Affordable Housing Preservation Fund utilizes short- and long-term loans to buy existing apartment buildings and caps the rent. Additionally, we support the Homeowner Rehabilitation Program, which funds extensive emergency repairs and rehabilitation for low-income, long standing homeowners.
We also work to support our public schools (K-12) and Wake Tech to offer sound educational opportunities for skill building that prepares our residents for jobs in our local economy. And finally, we work to bring a variety of businesses to the county to help provide economic opportunity as well.
Wake County Board of Commissioners, District 07
Vickie Adamson (I)
Candidate did not respond to Habitat's questionnaire. You can encourage them to submit their responses by emailing them at adamson.v@gmail.com
City of Raleigh City Council, Mayor
Janet Cowell (I)
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Continue public investment in housing by voting yes on city’s $101.5 million housing bond and $101.5 million transportation bond. The city is already leveraging city-owned land for housing. City of Raleigh needs to work more closely with the Raleigh Housing Authority as they refresh and redevelop their portfolio of public housing. We have a joint Raleigh City/ RHA session on Nov 17. Keeping market housing supply moving is key. We need to continue to make progress on speeding permitting, lowering unit cost by exploring lower-cost construction methods, and make other reforms that allow for small-scale infill. I am also working with the faith community to encourage utilization of land for housing.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
I support the City’s down payment assistance program to allow for home ownership in addition to the City’s home repair program. One challenge to buying a home is the lack of supply of homes at attainable prices. City of Raleigh should continue its partnership with orgs like Habitat for Humanity to produce housing that can be bought through down payment assistance. Continue scatter site subsidized housing policy. I support investing in underserved communities. Raleigh has invested in Southeast Raleigh with $100 million in the 2022 parks bond in addition to the New Bern Bus Rapid Transit investment in partnership with the federal government. I have advanced financial literacy programs for city employees.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
Raleigh is investing in affordable rental housing through its affordable housing bond monies and partnership with Raleigh Housing Authority. City council has voted to move forward most rezonings that keep supply high and reduce pressure on rents. I support the City’s partnership with Campbell Law School clinic that works with tenants facing eviction and more generally educate tenants in their rights. I also support working with groups like Lotus Campaign that help with down payment assistance and find private sector landlords with apartments. I’d like to be more proactive in naming the best and worst landlords in the city. If you have ideas on how to do that, I’d welcome them.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
Programs that would allow existing owners to capture and benefit from the increased value of their properties would be welcome. E.g., work with trusted partners like churches to provide financing to redevelop single family home into a quadraplex. On our part, the city needs to improve the economic viability of small scale redevelopment. Home repair program mentioned above needs to be expanded. We are using innovative approaches like land trusts, tiny homes, etc to reduce cost of homes.
Ashleigh H. Armstrong
The candidate sent in the following statement:
THANK YOU FOR WHAT YOU ARE DOING - for fair and affordable housing in Wake County HABITAT for HUMANITY. I've been a LONG supporter of Habitat for Humanity nationally and here in Raleigh and the Triangle.
In fact, we used many of the principles from H4H to write a women-led CONSTRUCTION & BUILDING TRADES CURRICULUM through the Perkins Act // TECH PREP * EARLY COLLEGE PROGRAM during my professional tenure in West Virginia at Marshall University.
In 2000(!), we presented the curriculum at national education in of all places Charlotte, NC. (NASA trainer and dinosaur hunter Homer Hickam was the keynote speaker and we screened the movie OCTOBER SKY starring Jake Gylennhaal and Laura Dern.) HOUSING AFFORDABILITY and challenges in the building & construction trades are one of, IF not THE most pressing issue of our day.
It's going to be even more difficult to solve this mess that we find ourselves in 2026 than where we were in ~ 2006. However, the blueprint that Habitat for Humanity offers, especially in combination with the NC State School of Design provides one of the best paths forward for our Raleigh community and Greater Wake County.
I'm here for it! & ready to get back to building - good for good!
City Council District E
Clark Rinehart
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Raleigh cannot and will not be affordable for everyone if we only build more low-density, car-centric, single-family housing. We must build more homes at every price point, preserve affordable homes, and make it easier for working families to live and thrive in Raleigh through housing subsidies.
If elected, I will focus on: (1) Building more housing by supporting zoning and development reforms that allow more homes -- including duplexes, townhomes, apartments, ADUs, and permanently affordable housing -- in more parts of Raleigh. (2) Expanding affordable housing investment through a strong, sustainable affordable housing bond and by leveraging public dollars with private, nonprofit, and philanthropic investment. (3) Partnering with Habitat and other faith-based nonprofits that own land by streamlining approvals, identifying public land and underutilized properties, and expanding opportunities for community-based developers. (4) Preserving existing affordability by investing in naturally occurring affordable housing and preventing displacement. (5) Connecting housing to economic opportunity by prioritizing housing near jobs, schools, services, and reliable multimodal transit.
Raleigh’s housing crisis took decades to develop, so there is no single solution. But, we can make meaningful progress by building more, investing more, partnering better, and removing unnecessary barriers. My goal is simple: a Raleigh where working people can afford to live, work, and build a future.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
Racial equity in housing requires acknowledging that today’s disparities are not accidental. Instead, they're the result of decades of discriminatory policies and unequal access to wealth-building opportunities. We should use every tool available to close that gap. Raleigh cannot undo decades of discriminatory housing policy overnight, but we can choose to make housing policy a tool for opportunity and wealth-building. A Raleighite’s race or ZIP code does not determine whether they can afford a home, build equity, and pass that opportunity on to the next generation.
If elected, I will: (1) Expand affordable homeownership by supporting down-payment and closing-cost assistance, homebuyer education, affordable home construction, and programs that help first-time buyers overcome financing barriers. (2) Build more housing at attainable price points by supporting zoning reforms that allow diverse housing types in more Raleigh neighborhoods. (3) Partner with community-based organizations to leverage public land, private investment, and nonprofit expertise to create more affordable homeownership opportunities. (4) Preserve existing homeownership by expanding homeowner repair and rehabilitation assistance and supporting strategies that help longtime homeowners remain in their homes as neighborhoods appreciate. (5) Invest in historically underserved communities and ensure housing, transit, jobs, and other public investments expand opportunity rather than contribute to displacement.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
Housing affordability is not just a homeownership issue. If Raleigh is going to remain a place where working people can live and thrive, we must make renting more affordable, stable, and accessible.
If elected, I will focus on: (1) Building more housing. I will support zoning and development reforms that allow for more missing middle housing types and other diverse housing options in more parts of Raleigh. Increasing supply alone will not solve affordability, but we cannot achieve long-term affordability without building more homes. (2) Expanding affordable rental housing. I will support a strong, sustainable affordable housing bond and leverage public investment with private, nonprofit, and philanthropic resources to create and preserve income-restricted affordable units. (3) Protecting existing affordability. I will invest in preserving naturally occurring affordable housing and support strategies that help prevent displacement and keep long-term residents in their homes. (4) Connecting renters to opportunity. I will prioritize housing near reliable multimodal transit, jobs, schools, and services so transportation costs do not undermine housing affordability.
Raleigh’s affordability crisis requires both immediate and long-term solutions. We should help renters today while building a housing system that makes renting more affordable tomorrow.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
Raleigh is known as the City of Oaks. I love that. But, I also want it to be known as the City of Opportunities. We have worked to increase housing options, but still have a long way to go to support every neighbor -- especially those who live close to the margins.
Raleigh should be a place where working families can not only afford to rent, but have a pathway to homeownership along with being a place where longtime homeowners are not forced out of the communities they helped build. My goal is a Raleigh where residents can put down roots, build equity, and remain in the communities they call home.
In order to increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement, I will focus on: (1) Expanding affordable homeownership. I will support down-payment and closing-cost assistance, homebuyer education, and programs that help first-time buyers overcome barriers to purchasing a home. (2) Building more attainable housing. I will support zoning and development reforms that allow more housing choices in more Raleigh neighborhoods. (3) Preserving existing affordability. I will invest in homeowner repair and rehabilitation programs and preserve naturally occurring affordable housing so rising property values do not force longtime residents from their homes. (4) Partnering for greater impact. I will work directly with community organizations to leverage public land, private investment, and philanthropic resources to create and preserve homeownership opportunities.
Joshua Bradley
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Gentrification and the loss of Naturally Occurring Affordable Housing is the biggest crisis the city must resolve. When I elected, I will push to make it the number one priority. I would push the city to build housing for the people that need it most on city land. For profit developers are not interested in building housing affordable to the workers of the city. I would do my best to leverage rezoning cases to get funds to use to build new low-cost housing, help keep people in their homes, and work with non-profits to do the same. The work that Habitat, CASA, One Wake, and others need to be funded and prioritized. I will also push to ban whole home short term rentals (AirBnB, etc.) as they have a damaging effect on housing supply.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
I would strengthen the human relations board and fair housing board. I would work to root out racist practices that were designed in to how the government works. I would resist gentrification in Southeast Raleigh and other majority minority neighborhoods. I would work with community organizations and community leaders to address concerns. I am a supporter of reparations for all black, brown, and indigenous people in the city, and while what this would look like would be decided by the affected communities, this would help.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
I will support organizations like the Triangle Tenant's Union, who organize for tenant's rights. I would make sure that there are programs in place and properly funded to help prevent eviction. I will support and prioritize the development of housing affordable to people making under 50 % of the Area Media Income. I will also push to increase the pay of city workers to a level that they can thrive in the city. This should hopefully have a positive effect on wages throughout the city.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
The city should work with the county to make sure there are ways for people who are impacted by gentrification to not be pushed out due to higher property values and code enforcement. I would push to fund non profits like Habitat, CASA, and One Wake to help develop housing affordable to the workers in the city. I would push for the city to build low cost housing on city land, with city funds. I would prioritize projects with housing affordable the to most in need during rezoning requests. I would require that any redevelopments that force people from their homes find housing for the people so displaced. I will advocate and agitate for a progressive property tax that would lower taxes on the workers and the poor, and raise them for businesses and luxury housing.
Stormie D. Forte (I)
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Working with our non-profit partners and affordable housing developers will continue to be a priority for me. We have an affordable housing bond for $100 million dollars on the ballot in November. This money will be used for projects that will add more units of affordable housing and other initiatives that will allow folks who are senior citizens, disabled or low income to remain in homes they own but are in great need of repair.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
We have provided funding for several programs to assist residents from marginalized groups. Particularly, we have provided grants up to $70,000 for down payment assistance for first time homebuyers. Additionally, we have partnered with many organizations that are providing homeownership opportunities for low-income residents. Habitat for Humanity and the Raleigh Area Land Trust are two organizations that have received funding and/or land donations from the city to use in developments that provide opportunities to purchase homes for folks who have historically faced challenges with being able to acquire them.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
I have had conversations with the Triangle Apartment Association and other groups that represent landlords to find middle ground to help people in need, especially those with lower income, access safe and good quality affordable housing. There are vacancies in rental units across the city. We have to make sure we are working with landlords to find out what is needed for them to open up rental units to people in need that are currently closed off. As for the financial challenges for renters, folks should contact members of the legislature to push for a substantial increase in minimum wages to reduce the cost burden renters often experience.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
I will adopt the statements I made in question 2 for this answer also. We need to expand programs that provide access to down payment assistance. Further, we have to continue working with organizations that build quality affordable housing that is available for purchase, as well as rentals.
Sana Siddiqui
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Raleigh needs more housing, but we also need to make sure people at different income levels can actually afford it. I support increasing housing choices across the city, especially near transit and in major growth centers, and prioritizing housing for households earning 30–60% of AMI.
I would support continuing and expanding public-private partnerships to build more affordable housing, preserving existing naturally occurring affordable housing, expanding homebuyer and rental assistance, and continuing to invest in the Affordable Housing Fund. I also support using rezonings and development incentives to secure affordable units when the City is providing additional development value.
We cannot solve this alone. The City should work closely with Wake County, nonprofits, organizations like Habitat for Humanity, and private-sector partners to increase the supply of affordable housing while protecting existing residents from displacement.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
In order to better serve historically marginalized communities, we need to be intentional about creating more opportunities for homeownership and helping longtime residents stay in their homes. I support expanding homebuyer assistance and continuing partnerships with organizations like Habitat for Humanity to help more families become homeowners and build generational wealth.As Raleigh continues to grow, we also need to make sure historically underserved communities benefit from that growth without being pushed out of neighborhoods they’ve been in for generations.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
The biggest thing we can do for renters is increase the supply of housing they can actually afford. I support continuing investments in affordable rental housing and partnerships with organizations like CASA and the Raleigh Housing Authority, with a particular focus on households below 60% of AMI.
We should also continue supporting rental assistance and eviction prevention programs that help people stay in their homes, while increasing housing choices across Raleigh so renters have more options at different price points.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
To increase affordable homeownership, I support expanding down payment assistance and other programs that help first-time and lower-income buyers with the upfront costs of purchasing a home. We should also continue supporting affordable homeownership developments that create more opportunities for families being priced out of Raleigh.
To prevent displacement, we need to help people stay in the homes they already own. I support assistance for critical home repairs, particularly for older and lower-income homeowners, so rising costs and necessary repairs do not force longtime residents out of their homes.
City of Raleigh City Council, District A
Mitchell Silver (I)
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
I have advocated for expanding housing choices by adding additional density in growth areas identified by the comprehensive plan, alleviating demand pushing up prices in neighborhoods. The city also needs to do more to provide housing for low-income families. I support additional investments in new affordable housing units, creating new community land trusts, streamlining the approval process, and acquiring land for future affordable housing developments. The City Council has placed an affordable housing bond on the ballot this year that would fund these priorities without increasing property taxes. I would urge residents to vote yes.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
I have worked extensively on racial equity in planning and development throughout my career. As a planner, my priority is repairing past harms -- as well as preventing future ones. Gentrification and displacement are persistent drivers of racial inequity in housing. Solutions I have proposed and worked on as a planner include offering housing grants to rehabilitate homes falling into disrepair in vulnerable areas, using equity as a factor in evaluating the budget, and property tax relief. The City of Raleigh recently released a set of anti-displacement tools and strategies that I have advocated for. They focus on preserving existing affordable units, supporting longtime residents, and ensuring growth doesn’t mean instability.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
North Carolina state law bans municipalities from enacting or enforcing any type of rent control policies. However, there is still more we can do at the local level to support renters and help bring prices down. We can use density bonuses to encourage the inclusion of affordable units to new apartment and housing developments, expand emergency rental assistance along with Wake County, and support a tenant-based eviction prevention program. Expanding housing options and increasing the housing supply to meet demand will help alleviate price increases long-term and stabilize the market. I also believe the city should be more aggressive in advocating at the General Assembly for the ability to shape our own policies around housing and development.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
Raleigh’s affordable housing bond on the ballot this year is aimed at both expanding the availability of affordable housing and keeping longtime residents in their homes. Additional policies that can be supported by the bond and future budgets include housing grants to rehabilitate homes, increased homebuyer assistance, and targeted property tax relief for those that have seen high reevaluations.
Whitney Hill
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Work with nonprofits, developers and Raleigh administration to build faster at all levels. For the short run, hold back zoning changes where affordable housing would be destroyed.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
With the housing bond, we need to work to make home ownership available to minority groups. Our African American residents in the past had a history of home ownership and properties being passed down generationally. Gentrification has pushed out a lot of these residents. We need to come up with strategies to protect this.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
Increase supply to create a competitive market. Work with developers.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
Take the shackles off...free up unused city, county, and state-owned land. Create policies to encourage the building of apartment complexes to meet the low-income housing demand.
City of Raleigh City Council, District B
Megan Patton (I)
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Throughout my time on the City Council, I have been a huge proponent of The City using its financial and property resources to construct new affordable housing. If passed, our Housing Bond will secure funding for a host of housing initiatives ranging from new construction to down payment assistance. The Housing bond will also direct funds to housing-first initiatives that serve our unhoused population.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
The City of Raleigh has been providing a Down Payment Assistance program for some years, which has been an important way of helping residents access generational wealth. I will continue this work. We offer enhanced programs in areas of our City that are rapidly gentrifying. We have also tried innovative approaches to affordable housing, like the Land Trust model, which allow the resident to build some equity in their home without taking on the full burden of the land ownership.
I am also laser focused on making sure that Raleigh reaps all the benefits of the ROAD to Housing Act. There are a number of provisions in the act that will be favorable for historically divested residents, including providing financing like a mortgage on more types of housing.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
I will continue to support efforts to build new affordable housing across the city. Having an ample supply of both deed-restricted and market-rate housing is critical to keep rents stable.
I will also continue to support tenant-support efforts like our partnership with Campbell Law School and Legal Aid. These partnerships are critical to ensuring that tenants have representation in Housing Court, so that they can remain stably housed.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
The City is a large land holder. One strategy for increasing affordable homeownership is to ensure that when we put land up for proposals for Affordable Housing, the requests a balance of ownership and rental projects. We also prevent displacement by keep tax rates low, which can mean approving dense development in certain areas.
City of Raleigh City Council, District C
Corey Branch (I)
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
I served on the council that approved Missing Middle reforms, allowing more housing types in residential communities. We also purchased land to lower housing development costs. The Housing Bond will help us continue funding tax-credit rental housing and homeownership programs citywide. Because transportation costs can limit access to jobs, I will also work to increase bus frequency along transit corridors and identify underserved areas that need service, even if less frequent
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
East College Park’s Neighborhood Revitalization Plan emphasized homeownership. I would apply lessons from that effort in other parts of the community, even on a smaller scale. Habitat is an important partner in helping Black residents become homeowners, and I would ensure the first-time homebuyer program can support projects such as Old Poole Place. With more than 1,000 projects completed, Habitat has demonstrated its impact. Advancing racial equity will require continued partnerships with Habitat and NAREB.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
I have worked to increase the rental housing supply and stabilize rents, which are now declining by 1.1% to 2.6% in the Raleigh area. I will continue partnering with the Raleigh Housing Authority and other organizations to develop affordable units citywide. Based on conversations with builders of all sizes, I believe government can best support renters by lowering construction costs through tools such as land leases and tax credits, preventing those costs from being passed on to renters, especially because North Carolina law limits local options. I will also follow and ask our staff to see what plans the AG of North Carolina develops as he is trying to also find ways to reduce cost for renters as this is a state and national issue.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
Working with fellow council members and city staff, I have supported the displacement-prevention measures listed below. I also want to engage more directly with residents who feel at risk of displacement, including those affected by the sale of heirs’ property. The city partners with the county to offer property-tax payment plans, assists with water utility bills, and requires major projects that may displace residents to include support plans. I want every homeowner to know about and use these resources. From the county website: Payment Information
Payments may be made in any amount and at any frequency, provided the bill is paid in full before it becomes delinquent. No prior approval is required for installment payments on current bills. After each payment, the county will send a statement showing the remaining balance.
Additional resources:
Keeping Raleigh Home: Anti-Displacement Tools and Strategies
Jared S. Ollison
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
When I'm elected, I will focus on preserving existing affordable housing. Specifically, I will work with other council members to secure tax breaks that encourage private owners to continue to provide affordable housing in our community. Additionally, I will form partnerships with developers who have a reputation and known track record of building affordable housing communities. I would be willing to vote to rezone city owned parcels to accommodate the affordable housing needs.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
I currently live in my grandparents' home which they built in the 1960's when discriminatory housing policies were ever prevalent. The current city council aims to tax me and other minority homeowners out of our black communities with surgical precision. I have a vested interest in advancing racial equity in housing. We accomplish this goal in several ways. One way is to stop authorizing development in the historically black communities that are prone to fuel gentrification. Another approach is to provide tax relief programs for those persons or families who have been historically affected by the city's re-development initiatives. I am also open to researching and implementing best methods that have prevented gentrification and have worked well in other major cities.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
Solving this issue has to be a multi-faceted approach. First the city of Raleigh needs to promote a livable wage like several other major cities have done. The city needs to work to eliminate food deserts, that will enable citizens to shop for groceries in an affordable manner. Tax breaks for affordable housing developments should be implemented in a way that encourage other affordable housing developers to come to Raleigh to provide cost effective housing. Without a livable wage and effective support related infrastructure renters will continue to be burdened. I aim to change that!
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
I have continuously campaigned on this very issue, affordable home ownership opportunities. Increasing land sales of city owned property to agencies like Habitat for Humanity for the development of affordable home ownership opportunities is the best way forward. The city should provide tax relief programs, financial planning, and estate planning assistance as preventative measures to keep people in their homes who may be otherwise displaced in a turbulent economy.
City of Raleigh City Council, District D
Jane Harrison (I)
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
The City’s missing middle policies have increased the types of housing permitted, incentivizing the constructions of thousands of more homes since the policies were enacted less than five years ago. One of our best tools to ensure affordable housing for lower income residents is buying/banking land to create income-restricted housing and keeping it affordable into perpetuity. For example, the City bought the DMV site on New Bern Avenue to develop affordable housing. We also provide existing City land and gap financing to non-profit affordable housing builders like DHIC, CASA, and the Raleigh Area Land Trust.
I am committed to passing the City’s $101.5 million affordable housing bond in November to fund our affordable housing programs. The bond will allow us to double down on our investments to build and preserve affordable housing. I am paying special attention to our goal to end homelessness. We have earmarked $12 million from the bond which will go to key programs like rental vouchers for people experiencing homelessness and eviction prevention services.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
I’m committed to eliminating systemic and historical barriers so that people of color have equal access to safe, stable and affordable homes and the opportunity to build generational wealth. I support the work of Raleigh’s Fair Housing Advisory Board which endeavors to prevent discrimination in housing opportunities on the basis of race, color, religion, family status, disability, national origin or sex. I also support doubling the City’s penny for affordable housing so that we can make greater investments in our existing programs which benefit Black residents in need of housing resources.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
The primary type of income restricted housing that Raleigh helps to build is for renters. I have approved numerous low-income housing tax credit projects across the City, many of which are in my district. I’m committed to engaging with renters to advocate for their needs, especially those living in subsidized and naturally occurring affordable housing. I am working closely with the Raleigh Housing Authority and their residents to develop new public housing complexes, including Heritage Park and Glenwood Towers. In August I organized an event called “The Rent is Too Damn High” to bring attention to the cost of living for renters and role of tenant unions to help renters organize for better living conditions.
In rezoning cases, I ask application to mitigate the loss of naturally occurring affordable housing with income restricted units onsite, a contribution to the City’s affordable housing fund, and/or relocation assistance. For example I worked on a rezoning case on Hillsborough St near NC State’s campus where 5% of new rental units were committed to be affordable at 60% AMI for 20 years. We will have up to 21 affordable units in that private, market-rate development.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
The City has down payment assistance and no-interest loans for low-income homeowners to make necessary repairs and help them maintain their homes. I’m also cautious about raising property taxes because I do not want to cause undue burden on low-income homeowners. I support ONE Wake’s proposal to create new homeownership opportunities on City land, and applaud Habitat for Humanity’s ongoing success in building homes that create generational wealth for low-income residents.
Jevon Smith-Cook
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Housing access and affordability are concerns for nearly all Raleigh residents. Nearly 56,000 households in the metro area are cost-burdened, and we’ve seen a visible rise in unhoused families.
Supply matters. I support responsibly increasing housing supply through smarter zoning, more missing-middle, and multifamily options near transit and job centers. Raleigh municipal government leaders and developers need a healthy symbiotic relationship. I would continue the trajectory toward holding the development community to responsible and community oriented growth. Government in general is notoriously slow and inefficient. I would support the immediate review of overly bureaucratic municipal processes that slow zoning, permitting, and construction activities.
To cover existing deficiencies in housing access, I would continue to advocate for tax-neutral bond opportunities on election ballots.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
As non-white person running for office, I have a specific and personal purpose to right this injustice.
As a city council member, I would continue to advocate for strong public and private sector partnerships that improve access to credit building programs, financial literacy, and downpayment assistance. It is specifically important for young residents coming out of high school and college to understand the importance of strategic planning and wise decision-making. One error with credit can often be the difference in home ownership in your 20s versus your 30s.
We also need to continue to enact good legislative policy at both municipal and state levels of government. For example, we don't need affordable housing concentrated in any one of Raleigh's districts. While some income-restricted housing is planned for central and north Raleigh, much of the development is concentrated in south and southeast portions of the city.
A unique attribute of my campaign is the focus on connecting homeownership access with workforce development. Relevant workforce skills and employment are vital to sustainable housing access.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
This problem requires a multi-dimensional approach. To improve initial access to market-rate rentals, we need to continue increases in supply. The economics of supply and demand do not diminish with housing. As new developments take place, price reductions may not be immediate but will eventually respond to market conditions. This trend is being studied and applied with good success across the country.
We also need an approach and solution for residents who are already at the brink of eviction. In my neighborhood alone, I’ve witnessed 3 eviction notices in the last 2 months. As I talk to residents, many are unaware of their legal options. We must continue to educate renters on eviction remediation options. Wake Prevent! and Legal Aid of NC are resources that many don't know exist as options.
As a district level counselor, I also have very personal and prescriptive plan to enable a "Rental Helpdesk" to allow residents to submit inquiries directly. The number of websites and portals is overwhelming and creates an artificial barrier to access. This portal will triage problems and align them to the proper resources.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
We need more missing-middle options for residents. The reality in the reduction of R-1 zoning and traditional single-lot family housing is real and apparent. Townhomes, condos, duplexes, triplexes, etc are great first-time homebuyer options. These housing choices provide an affordable path to homeownership while also providing the same financial, social, and psychological benefits of ownership. Diversity is key.
This also can not be executed in a vacuum. Council must continue to build great working relationships with home building associations and the development community. This continuous feedback loop provides the correct housing choices needed while also aligning zoning policies and comprehensive planning.
Relationships with state and federal government partners are also critical. Housing is not just a Raleigh problem. Residents across our state and country are all facing similar challenges. Council must learn how to effectively work and lobby with state and federal leaders to direct home affordability resources. Raleigh's history as a life sciences and technology hub is an attractive force for new private and public investments. We can't host a talented workforce without a basic necessity like housing.
City of Raleigh City Council, District E
Christina Jones (I)
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
During my time on City Council, I’ve consistently championed increasing the supply of affordable housing in the City of Raleigh. I’m proud to have helped lead the effort to bring the first fully affordable housing project to my district in a decade, Barton Oaks. This community will provide families earning between 20% and 70% of area median income (AMI) with housing they can afford within walking distance of local employers and small businesses, grocery stores, and medical providers, bringing much-needed walkability to an area of our city that has historically lacked it.
Barton Oaks is a model for what affordable housing can look like across our city, and I’ll always look for ways the City can partner with government, nonprofit, and private-sector stakeholders to increase the supply of affordable housing.
Negotiating for affordable housing commitments during rezoning processes, leveraging federal tax incentives, and ensuring municipal budgets allocate funding for gap financing will remain essential tools for expanding the supply of affordable housing. I also support using city-owned land to develop affordable housing and providing assistance to community land trusts that commit to preserving and creating affordable homes.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
The City of Raleigh offers an enhanced homebuyer assistance program to help first-time homebuyers purchase homes in targeted geographic areas of the city, including historically Black communities. I will fight to continue and expand this program, which is an important step toward addressing generations of racial inequity in housing.
I also believe that creating housing opportunities across the city for residents at every income level, from subsidized affordable housing to moderately priced market-rate housing that middle-class families can afford, is essential to lowering barriers to homeownership, reducing racial disparities in homeownership and wealth, and addressing the injustices of the past that continue to shape patterns of racial segregation today.
If re-elected, I’ll continue advocating for infrastructure investments and environmental justice in historically underinvested neighborhoods that have not received their fair share of investment. Southeast Raleigh, for example, has historically been home to a large Black population and has experienced disparities in infrastructure investment and environmental quality, including inequitable access to tree canopy and a more pronounced urban heat island effect than other parts of the city. Addressing these disparities is an important part of advancing racial equity in housing and ensuring that every neighborhood has the infrastructure and environmental quality residents deserve.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
Unfortunately, North Carolina law limits the authority municipalities have to regulate rents for privately owned residential property.
However, there are steps we can take to make housing more affordable for renters. As I’ve outlined above, I support increasing the supply of affordable housing, including rental units, throughout the city, and I have a record of delivering just that.
We can also reduce pressure on rental costs by keeping property taxes stable. I’m proud that during my time on City Council, we’ve maintained one of the lowest property tax rates in the region without sacrificing the services and programs our residents depend on. Broadening our tax base through mixed-use development and supporting local businesses is essential to maintaining that balance.
My colleagues and I have also supported grant funding to assist renters facing eviction with legal representation, and I’ll continue to support that funding.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
As Raleigh grows and our housing supply increases, we have to ensure that growth and new housing benefit people at all income levels while protecting existing residents from gentrification and displacement.
Key to this is preserving naturally occurring affordable housing. On Council, I’ll continue to oppose rezoning proposals that would destroy such housing while working to ensure that our existing grant programs that help seniors and working families afford necessary home repairs so they can remain in their homes are adequately funded and fully utilized. Community engagement and raising awareness of these programs through the City’s Community Engagement Department, CACs, partnerships with nonprofits, and my role as a Councilor are important to ensuring that residents know about and can access these grants.
Working with Habitat for Humanity and the Raleigh Land Trust on financing and land acquisition, including the use of city-owned land, will also help us provide more affordable homes where families can build equity now and in the future.
Marc Scruggs
1. One in four households are unable to afford housing in our community. Six decades of stagnant wages, a 30-year undersupply of housing, and too little public and private funding are driving this housing crisis. If elected, what specific policies, practices, or initiatives will you implement to increase affordable housing in our community?
Raleigh needs a practical agenda that looks at the entire landscape when it comes to housing affordability and attainability.
City leaders could commit to five immediate deliverables:
- establish a recurring affordable-housing fund;
- create a transit-oriented land-acquisition program;
- publish a public inventory of city-owned development sites;
- launch a preservation and eviction-prevention initiative; and
- adopt annual affordability targets with transparent reporting.
The strongest public commitment would specify how much money will be invested, how many homes will be created or preserved, which income groups will be served, how long affordability will last, and when residents can expect results.
2. Historically, intentionally discriminatory housing policy created racially segregated housing infrastructure. Government and the private sector prevented Black residents from becoming homeowners – resulting in today’s racial wealth gap. If elected, how will you advance racial equity in housing?
Raleigh should use its land, funding, regulatory authority, and partnerships to close racial gaps in homeownership and housing stability; preserve Black homeownership in historically excluded neighborhoods; prevent displacement; and ensure that publicly supported housing remains affordable for future generations.
The key is to judge success not only by how many housing units Raleigh produces, but also by who gains stability, who builds equity, who remains in their community, and whether the racial wealth gap becomes measurably smaller.
3. Rents are rising across our community. For North Carolina renters, median rents increased by 45.7% between 2019 and 2024 while incomes lagged significantly behind with median renter household income only rising 32.4%. Data from 2025 found that around half, 50.4%, of renters in the Raleigh-Cary Metro Area are cost burdened, or pay at least 30% of their income, on rent. What steps will you take to support renters?
The City of Raleigh should pursue a renter strategy that combines immediate stabilization, preservation of lower-cost apartments, production of income- restricted homes, and stronger accountability for publicly supported landlords. Because North Carolina law prevents cities from imposing rent control or requiring private landlords to accept housing vouchers, local leaders must use the tools Raleigh does control: funding, public land, zoning, code enforcement, contracts, and partnerships to support our renters.
4. Home sales prices have soared since 2020, making homeownership increasingly out of reach for residents. Current low-income homeowners are also at risk of displacement from rising housing costs. How do you increase affordable homeownership and prevent resident displacement?
Raleigh should pursue a two-part strategy: help more working families buy homes and help current homeowners remain in them. I would expand and regularly recalibrate the City’s zero-interest down-payment and closing-cost assistance so it keeps pace with local prices; pair it with homebuyer education, credit counseling, and access to affordable mortgage products; and use city-owned land and gap financing to build starter homes, duplexes, townhomes, and accessory dwelling units for households across a range of incomes.
Publicly supported homes should remain affordable through community land trusts, shared-equity models, and long-term resale restrictions so each public dollar benefits more than one buyer. Raleigh’s current programs provide up to $45,000 citywide and up to $60,000 in targeted areas, giving us a strong platform to scale.
To prevent displacement, I would increase funding and shorten wait times for critical home repairs, accessibility upgrades, weatherization, and emergency assistance; support estate planning, title clearing, and heirs’-property legal services; and coordinate with Wake County and community partners on property-tax assistance permitted by state law. We should target outreach to long-time homeowners in neighborhoods facing rapid appreciation, establish clear annual goals, and report who is served and how long they remain housed.