{"id":145,"date":"2026-05-19T20:37:38","date_gmt":"2026-05-19T20:37:38","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/northcarolinamovingjournal.com\/?p=145"},"modified":"2026-05-19T20:37:38","modified_gmt":"2026-05-19T20:37:38","slug":"gov-josh-stein-signs-executive-order-to-tackle-housing-affordability","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/northcarolinamovingjournal.com\/?p=145","title":{"rendered":"Gov. Josh Stein signs executive order to tackle housing affordability"},"content":{"rendered":"
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Gov. Josh Stein on Tuesday signed an executive order directing cabinet agencies to work together to increase housing supply and affordability.<\/span><\/p>\n

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The governor noted that despite best efforts, the state is projected to be more than 750,000 units short of housing needs by 2029.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cYou all have heard the expression that if you build it, they will come,\u201d Stein quipped. \u201cTurns out \u2026 if you don\u2019t build it, they will still come.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

A study commissioned by N.C. Chamber Foundation, N.C. Home Builders Association and NC REALTORS\u00ae \u2014\u00a0 <\/span> \u2014\u00a0 found an expected gap of 764,000 total housing units (322,000 rental units and 442,000 units for purchase) across North Carolina by 2029.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cPeople want to live and work here, but we simply do not have enough homes to meet that growing demand,\u201d Stein said. \u201cHousing is the single biggest expense that most families face, so if somebody\u2019s rent or mortgage takes up too much of their monthly paycheck, that means that they have that much less to spend on other essentials.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Stein said the state needs more housing that is affordable for middle-income workers such as teachers, nurses, police officers and firefighters. He said his <\/span>recommended budget<\/span> invests in North Carolina\u2019s housing programs to expand affordable housing, preserve existing rental units and support emergency home repairs, particularly for low- and moderate-income families, seniors, veterans and people with disabilities<\/span><\/p>\n

In 23 of North Carolina\u2019s 100 counties, teachers do not earn enough to pay the average rent, Stein said. Carpenters in Charlotte can only afford about 20% of entry-level homes, he said, and in Raleigh, they can only afford 8% of available entry-level homes.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cThey can build the homes, they just can\u2019t afford to live in the homes they\u2019re building,\u201d Stein said.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Stein signed the executive order during a press conference attended by dozens of affordable housing advocates, Democratic and Republican lawmakers, city and county officials and others.<\/span><\/p>\n

The governor used the occasion to announce that he has hired Janneke Ratcliffe to serve as senior adviser for housing. Ratcliffe will collaborate with leaders of the private, nonprofit, philanthropic, academic and faith communities to advance the administration\u2019s housing goals and policies and to accelerate the development of affordable housing.<\/span><\/p>\n

Ratcliffe previously served as vice president of the Housing and Communities Division of the Urban Institute in Washington, D.C. She said the housing needs in North Carolina are vast and diverse.\u00a0<\/span><\/p>\n

Jones County, for example, only needs a couple of hundred homes to meet projected demand by 2029, while Chatham County is 33% short of forecasted demand and has the largest gap to close, she said.<\/span><\/p>\n

Meanwhile, Wake County needs more than 100,000 housing units to meet demand by 2029, Ratcliffe said.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWe can\u2019t just build more high-end homes and luxury apartment buildings,\u201d Ratcliffe said. \u201cWe need multigenerational options, like backyard cottages, low-cost infill; and we need starter homes so that our young households can put down roots right here in our communities.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Stein invited Maysville Town Manager Schemata Brown to the executive order signing. The town in small, rural Jones County is planning a $10 million, 40-unit workforce and senior housing apartment complex that will be affordable for a rookie police officer and first-year teacher.<\/span><\/p>\n

The county is one of 22 chosen to participate in \u201c<\/span>Our State, Our Homes<\/span>\u201d \u2014 an initiative that\u2019s part of the <\/span>Carolina Across 100<\/span> program coordinated by the UNC School of Government that partners with communities in each of North Carolina\u2019s 100 counties to address longstanding challenges such as affordable housing shortages.<\/span><\/p>\n

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\u201cFor communities like Jones County and the town of Maysville, housing is not an abstract policy discussion,\u201d Brown said. \u201cIt\u2019s about whether families can stay, grow and thrive in places they call home.\u201d<\/span><\/p>\n

Brown said Maysville is revitalizing its downtown by purchasing buildings to create apartments for low-to moderate-income residents. The county has a thriving school district with no low-performing schools, Brown boasted, and a new workforce development center to train young people in skilled trades.<\/span><\/p>\n

\u201cWhen you combine strong schools, workforce development and housing, you begin to see a full ecosystem of opportunity taking shape,\u201d Brown said.<\/span><\/p>\n

In an interview with reporters, Stein said there\u2019s bipartisan support for several bills designed to increase housing supply. He cited bills that would remove certain parking restrictions to allow more units to be built and end lot-size requirements in new subdivisions.<\/span><\/p>\n

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As housing needs grow, rural communities look to the state for funding, expertise<\/p>\n<\/blockquote>\n