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Last week, a new version of a significant land use measure aimed at addressing solutions to ease our severe statewide housing shortage passed out of the House Regulatory Reform Committee. The bill, formerly known as House Bill 765 which is now included within another proposal, Senate Bill 205, continues to work its way through the process. Supporters of the measure, including the North Carolina Realtors®, North Carolina Home Builders Association, and North Carolina Chamber are all working to elevate the bill to the House floor for a vote. In that vein, here is a message about the legislation from the 2025 President of the NCHBA:
Dear Fellow NCHBA Member,
I don’t often send messages like this – but the stakes are too high to stay silent.
As the 2025 President of the North Carolina Home Builders Association and a builder from Mills River, NC, I’m reaching out to you personally because we have a rare opportunity to advance meaningful housing reform. Senate Bill 205 – legislation that could truly move the needle on housing affordability in North Carolina – is moving through the General Assembly, but it faces strong opposition.
Last week, SB 205 cleared the House Regulatory Reform Committee. It includes critical provisions that reduce regulatory barriers, streamline land use, and help make homeownership more attainable for hardworking North Carolinians.
But unless legislators hear from you, the bill may never reach the House floor for a vote. Opponents are mobilized. We must be, too.
Please take a moment to contact (call and email) your State Representative TODAY and urge them to vote YES on SB 205.
Find Your Legislator’s Contact Info
What Senate Bill 205 Does:
Stops unlawful and burdensome local government actions that block housing that people can afford
Ensures essential workers — like teachers, nurses, police officers, and firefighters — can afford to live in the communities they serve
Brings clarity and consistency to local housing decisions by requiring compliance with powers granted by the General Assembly
The NC Home Builders Association, NC Realtors®, and the NC Chamber are united in support of this bill — but it won’t pass without your help.
Click here for a summary of key provisions in S205
We cannot afford to stay silent. Act now — contact your State House Representative today. Let’s make sure our industry’s voice is the one law makers hear.
Sincerely,
Thomas McClain
2025 President, NC Home Builders Association
My Take: We all know what the problem is — that we don’t have enough homes to go around represented in all price points. Yes, the answer is to build more homes, but we continue to meet substantial resistance at the local government level. In some cases, the regulatory framework of a jurisdiction adds additional costs, some of them unnecessary. In many jurisdictions, excess regulations are complicated further by a loud and concerted effort by current residents who revile change of any kind, even for the good. Therefore, this legislation is essential in bridging the housing gap. If we, as a regional community, don’t get serious about really addressing this issue, then several years down the road we will wake up to see we’re no longer competitive and have found all the jobs are going to other places.
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Last Wednesday I joined several REBIC members and representatives of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance on an important mission to Raleigh to advocate in favor of House Bill 948, the P.A.V.E. (Projects for Advancing Vehicle-Infrastructure Enhancements) Act sponsored by Rep. Tricia Cotham.
Here’s what they had to say:
“We believe this is a seminal moment for our region, and it’s critical that we move forward with the plan to address our transportation needs,” said David Longo, chairman of the Charlotte Regional Business Alliance.
Peter Pappas, Founder and CEO of Pappas Properties added, “Without that (infrastructure improvements), we really can’t keep this momentum up, we can’t create the kind of community that will be favorable for people to bring jobs to our state into the Charlotte region.”
As a result of our visit and other positive voices, the bill passed out of the House Transportation Committee and was referred to the Finance Committee where it was approved earlier today. It is expected to be heard in the House Rules Committee tomorrow morning and if all goes as expected, it will receive a vote on the House Floor the afternoon of June 18th.
My Take: The recent and positive progress of this bill is a significant development given that there are still a lot of moving parts. If the bill receives approval by the full General Assembly, the Mecklenburg County Commissioners must then vote to refer the measure to the voters for a place on the November ballot. That means even though the clock is ticking, there is still time to achieve success. Two outstanding issues appear to be resolved: The House bill now mirrors the Senate bill with 40% of funding designated for roads, 40% for rail, and 20% for buses. This was meant to address the concerns of some in the Charlotte faith community that wanted to see more of an emphasis on improving the bus system. Also, some from neighboring counties had expressed the concern that their transportation needs would have diminished priority within the state budget as a result of this bill, but language was included to ensure that is not the case. Ultimately, it is believed the authority created by this legislation will establish the basis for a future regional transportation system.
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