CHALT’s Goals for Affordable Housing
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Create a variety of housing types and opportunities for home ownership at various price points to meet the needs of all residents.
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Create inclusive mixed income housing.
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Prevent gentrification and displacement of existing low and moderate income housing.
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Elect Council members who can negotiate a better deal for the owner-owned housing we need.
Here is what CHALT is doing:
- We advocated for Town Homes in order to promote home ownership. Luxury apartments are over supplied.
- We promoted Town policies that will keep existing affordable housing by lobbying the Town Council exercise care when granting permits for major up-zonings.
- We’ve urged the Town to work with UNC to provide affordable rentals for students on campus. Investors have capitalized on UNC’s lack of student housing, and built “luxury student apartments” all over town, thus driving up rental rates.
- When new projects come before the Town Council, we advocated for the Council to provide incentives for mixed and low income rental housing. Blue Hill removed the ability of the Council to require affordable housing.
- When town plans called for the destruction of lower rent housing for 200 families in Park Apartments, we appealed to the Town Council to request assistance for those families losing their homes.
- We supported the Town Affordable Housing bond, and actively led on the leadership group that campaigned for the county bond for kids and schools.
- We held several educational forums on mixed income housing, along with one on subsidized rentals otherwise known as the “master leasing” program.
Tiny Homes Initiative
On Feb. 21, Tiny Homes Initiative submitted the Petition to Make Tiny Homes a Legal and Affordable Housing Option to the Chapel Hill Town Council. The Petition, which had over 200 signatures, requests the Town to take 3 actions:
(1) Evaluate code revisions adopted or being considered by other local governments that make Tiny Homes on Foundations and Moveable Tiny Homes legal, accessible, and affordable, and consider which of these or other options are appropriate for Chapel Hill; and (based on that evaluation)
(2) Amend the Town’s codes and ordinances to make Tiny Homes a legal and affordable housing option for a wide variety of people; and
(3) Adopt the International Building Code Appendix Q Tiny Houses (which will require petitioning the State Building Code Council).
Staff has indicated to us that they plan to report back to Council before the summer recess. Othe actions taken:
- Met with staff from the Town of Chapel Hill Planning Department and Housing and Community Development Department as well Orange County’s Housing. Human Rights, and Community Development Department to discuss Tiny Home barriers, options, and concerns.
- March 21 gave presentation on Tiny Homes to the Orange-Chatham chapter of the Sierra Club. There was strong support for the Chapel Hill Tiny Home Initiative.
- April 18 presented to the Town of Carrboro Affordable Housing Advisory Commission. The Commission voted to recommend that the Board of Aldermen evaluate and consider Tiny Homes as part of the strategic affordable housing plan being developed.
- The Chapel Hill Town Council has authorized the Town Manager to pursue a proposed mixed-income neighborhood on town-owned land at 2200 Homestead Road. The Concept Plan for the development includes 10 Tiny Homes (on foundations).
- The Advocate Tiny Homes initiative.
CHALT sponsored a public forum on TINY HOMES at the Chapel Hill Public Library. Susan Levy, Executive Director Orange Council Habitat for Humanity began the forum by describing the housing crisis for people in low and lower income levels in Chapel Hill and Orange County. She indicated that as a community, we need to explore all options that help address the affordability of housing and that Tiny Homes provide one such option.
April Kemper then gave a detailed overview of Tiny Homes and what is required in town policies along with what other North Carolina Communities have been doing to support Tiny Homes. Three panelists then shared their experiences with living in Tiny Homes. Over 100 people attended the forum.
Click here to view the Tiny Homes Presentation (PDF).
