August 31, 2025 Newsletter
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Articles and Resources of interest:
Here is a TBJ article that supports the Policy Brief RaleighForward recently published focusing on the need to encourage more diverse housing options within the City so people have more opportunities to live closer to where they work. Outer-ring Counties are exporting workers to Raleigh/Wake County, TBJ reports.
“Here’s What the Far-Left Cranks get Right about the Housing Crisis,” from Vox.
With housing affordability challenging communities around the world, the Swiss use a co-op model to help some people find housing in one of the most expensive housing markets in the world. Read about it from the New York Times.
“Robert Moses Tore the South Bronx in Half. Is It About to Happen Again?” From the New York Times.
“Germany Revives a Building Style With a Bleak History: Prefab Housing,” Bloomberg reports.
“Wealthy households are driving Boston’s rising income segregation. Here’s how,” the Boston Globe reports.
“The Future of Homebuilding is Here and We’re Behind.” Read it in the Washington Post.
“Post-Pandemic Office Slump is Now Hitting Tax Coffers,” the Washington Post reports. All the more reason why Raleigh must continue approving zoning cases seeking high density, mixed-uses, while amenitizing key parts of the City so new residents continue to find the City an excellent option to live, work and raise families.
Anyone that has attended a public meeting or listened to residents complain about the government understands that too many NC residents lack civic education. When people don’t understand how government works and how to get involved, it increases the level of distrust between people and their government. This Carolina Public Press article explores how this crisis in trust begins in NC schools and their lack of robust civic education policies and practices
As Housing Demand Slows, Homebuilders get Creative, the New York Times reports.
From the Data Department:
The Raleigh Downtown Alliance released its 2025 State of Downtown Report. One of the key findings is the incredible growth of residential units in downtown. Since 2020, there have been nearly 4,500 new residential units built or under construction. That translates into nearly 6,000 new residents living downtown. Expanding downtown residential population is critical to maintaining the socioeconomic vibrancy in the core of Raleigh, particularly when office vacancy rates remain stubbornly high.
The American Enterprise Institute’s Carpenter Index attempts to identify the affordability of various metropolitan areas across the country. For the Raleigh metro area, 38% of its population could afford an “entry level home” in 2014. In 2024, only 8% could afford the entry level home.
As Raleigh embarks on constructing its first Bus Rapid Transit Line along New Bern Avenue, City officials might want to take note of this 2023 research paper prepared by researchers at NC State University and UNC Charlotte, with the support of NC Department of Transportation. Some of the takeaways related to value capture opportunities and social impacts are instructive. “Economic Impacts of Transit Investments, Social Challenges, and Strategies for Sustaining High Ridership.”
Items of Interest in the Week Ahead:
Raleigh City Council will meet September 2, 2025. Here are some items of interest from Council’s Agenda.
Recently, the owner of the round Holiday Inn downtown decided to renovate the building instead of redeveloping the site. One of the first steps in the rehabilitation by the owner is asking City Council to designate the building an historic landmark so it qualifies for historic tax credits. That request is on Council’s Consent Agenda for Tuesday. Click here for details.
A little-known fact is that the City of Raleigh has preserved thousands of acres of land with watersheds draining into the Falls lake Watershed to preserve its water quality since it supplies drinking water for Raleigh, Knightdale, Garner, Rolesville and Wake Forest. There is an item on the agenda for a similar conservation easement and stream restoration for a tributary located in Durham but drains into Falls Lake. Click here for details.
Staff will ask council to either schedule a public hearing for the controversial 30-story Smoky Hollow rezoning case that recently received a 9-0 recommendation of approval from the Planning Commission or place it in committee for further discussion prior to setting the public hearing. For details, click here.
Staff will provide a status report on the ongoing effort to develop a new streetscape plan for Fayetteville Street to continue to try and find ways to revitalize that area of downtown. Click here for details.
Other items of interest:
Sometimes it can be tough figuring out who does what in a City as large as Raleigh. This organizational chart might help.
Click here for the latest City Manager Report.
The NC Affordable Housing Conference will be held from September 30-October 1 at the Raleigh Convention Center. If you are interested in housing affordability and want to learn more from the professionals working to address these challenging issues, please consider attending.