Durham County hired the Development Finance Initiative (DFI) in 2017 to help redevelop two county-owned parcels in downtown. Though currently serving as surface parking for county employees, the two sites are located adjacent to recent high-end residential development, government and institutional s … Read more

Income inequality is not a new issue for CED professionals. In November 2011, the Federal Reserve Board of San Francisco devoted an issue of its publication, Community Investments,to how income inequality was impacting community development. A Federal Reserve Board governor is quoted in the report, … Read more

Overview Part 1 of this two-part series discussed what micro-units are, where they are found, and the problem they seek to address. In Part 2 of this series, this blog will explore three criticisms of micro-units and provide a case for why micro-units should still be considered a viable housing opti … Read more

  The Joint Center for Housing Studies (JCHS) at Harvard University recently published the “Housing America’s Older Adults” report, an overview of the changing dynamics and needs of the nation’s aging population.  The report highlights the need to address the evolving housing needs of the large … Read more

Micro-units have emerged as a popular and affordable solution for housing needs across the United States. However, some have raised concerns that micro-units may be reminiscent of tenement houses of the 19th and early 20th centuries and lend themselves to the same crowding and health concerns. Addit … Read more

Student loan debt in the U.S. is now the second highest consumer debt category, following mortgage debt. Americans owe over $1.48 trillion in student loan debt spread out across 44 million borrowers, and according to Student Loan Hero, the average student loan debt for 2017 graduates was $39,400. In … Read more

As communities begin the long recovery process in the wake of Hurricane Florence, many residents will need temporary housing. One challenge, though, is the zoning ordinance.  Most zoning ordinances strictly limit manufactured homes and recreational vehicles (RVs). As the Federal Emergency Management … Read more

A recent Community and Economic Development blog post outlined the concept of Workforce Housing – housing affordable to households earning 60 – 120% of the Area Median Income (AMI) – including the roots of workforce housing initiatives, and how macroeconomic trends have challenged the supply of hous … Read more

North Carolina communities are undergoing rapid economic change at different rates in different parts of the state.  Issues such as affordable housing, appropriate rate levels for public services, costs of commuting and wage growth (or stagnation) are now key for CED officials, whether your communit … Read more

In many cities across the country, it is increasingly difficult for middle-income workers to buy or rent housing in the areas in which they work. This is in part due to wages not keeping up with increasing costs of living but is also due to the limited supply of housing affordable to these workers. … Read more