How much should North Carolina families pay for housing? Affordable housing experts generally agree that housing costs should not exceed 30% of a household’s annual income. This payment standard is applied to nearly every major housing program, including public housing, housing choice vouchers, and … Read more

The following are articles and reports on the web that the Community and Economic Development Program at the UNC School of Government shared through social media over the past month. Follow us on twitter or facebook to receive regular updates.   Items of interest related to CED in North Carolin … Read more

The following are articles and reports on the web that the Community and Economic Development Program at the UNC School of Government shared through social media over the past month. Follow us on twitter or facebook to receive regular updates.   Items of interest related to CED in North Carolin … Read more

Even in the best of times, evictions are all too common and generate excessive public costs – but COVID-19 has brought the crisis to a boiling point. In recent months, housing security has not received the same degree of public attention as employment and health, though these issues are inextricably … Read more

Over the past few decades, the Low-Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) has become the nation’s most important policy to incentivize the creation of affordable housing. LIHTC, administered in North Carolina through the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, allocates credits to private developers who t … Read more

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

The United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) is the federal department primarily responsible for setting national food, farm, and nutrition policies across the country.  In addition to management of national food systems, the USDA has played an important role in rural economic development. Man … Read more