The following links provide you with comprehensive access to all committee reports, as the City of Charlotte conducted its monthly Committee Meetings on Monday, Feb 3, 2025.
UDO Text Amendments | STATUS REPORT | TRANSPORTATION, PLANNING & DEVELOPMENT COMMITTEE
Workforce Development Update Strategic Plan.
C-PACE | Status in North Carolina and Next Steps.
Housing, Safety, and Community Committee | Policy Referral: Minimum Housing Code
Proposed Budget Development Projects
My Take: Charlotte City Council was active yesterday. It is encouraging to see that the next UDO text amendment (#3) is likely to be acted on soon as some of the improvements are desperately needed. I’d also encourage you to take a look at the presentation on Workforce Development. Our region will remain competitive only so long as we have a steady stream of talent. Also, please check out the proposed budget timeline. Increased fees are likely to be under consideration as the process moves forward. More on that to come.
The newsletter, a vehicle for sharing big wins by the NAHB also shares a strong opinion and recommendation as they cite NIMBY’s and other community pressures as an influence we’re letting paralyze our industry. Here is the bulk of the edition or get access here to the PDF:
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TAKING A STAND AGAINST NIMBYS IN 2025 | By Karl Eckhart, VP, State & Local Government Affairs, NAHB
“So, first of all, let me assert my firm belief that the only thing we have to fear is fear itself—nameless, unreasoning, unjustified terror which paralyzes needed efforts to convert retreat into advance.”
This quote is from the inauguration speech of President Roosevelt in 1933. America is not nearly in the same dire straits; however, the housing policy crisis of today would lessen if people who have a home stop fearing those who want to live in their neighborhood. tion, more than half (56%) say it’s important to create more medium-density affordable housing to moderate-income households, younger households and first-time home buyers. The term we tend to use for citizens opposed to change in their community is NIMBYs (Not In My Backyard).
The term’s first known use was in the late 1970’s as a reaction to power plants and highways built near neighborhoods. Now, the term refers to the reaction against the construction of attainable homes, and often because it will diversify the population within that community.
Members and HBA staff regularly contact NAHB for assistance to overcome anti-growth sentiment. The problem is so pervasive that you or another colleague in a nearby market has encountered a local vote to enact a moratorium; faced an increase in a sewer hookup fee of 300%; or a deeply flawed design review process that only allows for homes to be constructed with brick. Opposition to new development is not only from a small group of engaged citizens, but also from interest groups from all political stripes and social affiliations.
Nearly four out of five Americans (77%) agree that America is in the midst of a housing affordability crisis and that officials at all levels of government are not doing enough to address this vital issue, according to a recent NAHB survey. In addition, more than half (56%) say it’s important to create more medium-density affordable housing to moderate-income households, younger households and first-time home buyers.
Clearly, there is an urgent need for the housing industry to articulate the connection between boosting the housing supply and housing affordability.
There are steps HBAs and members can take to help tamper down opposition to new development. If you are currently facing a moratorium that hampers growth in your community and need additional support, submit an application to the State and Local Issues Fund. NAHB’s State and Local Government Affairs Committee has provided funds to HBAs for consumer education campaigns and advocacy strategies.
Another tactic is fostering relationships with your city council members. Most city leaders are not well-versed in residential construction, so discussing the importance of a streamlined approval process or providing information on the benefits of objective design and architectural standards can help limit opposition. Most importantly, when elected officials muster up the political will to approve new development, we must take the time to thank them.
We can build the million-plus homes a year needed when we spearhead high-impact campaigns to educate our citizens and city leaders. Please reach out to the State and Local Advocacy staff so we can help you take a stand against NIMBYs in 2025.
My Take: For some time now you’ve seen me preach from my chair as I plead for us to stop letting community groups run over the laws of the land and manipulate the decisions of our elected leaders. Which in turn cause our industry to become fearful and paralyzed with inaction. And this newsletter from NAHB is right in line with my usual sentiments. The war on providing housing solutions has several fronts. Policy overreach is certainly a huge enemy. But to keep giving credence to a sector of uninformed, mob-like groups that base their reasoning on cookie cutter playbooks passed around from malcontent to malcontent must be checked.
REBIC is working on shaping what will become “A Best Practices Manual” to be launched this year. Right now we are curating content and solutions that seek to support all real estate businesses and individuals by equipping them with better processes, facts, strategies, and resources needed to achieve a higher level of positive outcomes when considering and then applying for approvals of projects.
We need to do a good job telling our side of the story , which is that our actions result in meeting a basic need of the community by creating housing options for all who need it. We also significantly improve the tax base by adding value which should result in enhancing infrastructure. These two benefits cannot be underestimated or understated, as our region seeks to stay economically healthy.
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