November 16, 2025 Newsletter
To receive these updates directly to your inbox, subscribe on Substack.
Save the Date: Annual Reception with WakeUP Wake County on December 4th
Featuring Keynote Speaker Dr. Jenny Schuetz, a prolific writer on housing markets and author of the book, Fixer Upper: How to Repair America’s Broken Housing Systems.
Save your seats now! Tickets are available here.
Junction West
Downtown Raleigh
310 S West Street, Suite 110, Raleigh, NC 27603
As in the past, this is a gathering of friends who share a vision of a sustainable and equitable region. WakeUP Wake County’s Executive Director Bert Fox, Board Chair Thomas Barrie, and RaleighForward’s Director Eric Braun will present WakeUP’s and RaleighForward’s plans for education and advocacy priorities in 2026. Connect with like-minded people and enjoy heavy hors d’oeuvres, beer, wine, and refreshments from the bar.
Supporting RaleighForward
If you are interested in helping RaleighForward carry out our Mission and Vision, please reach out to eric@raleighforward.org. We could use help building RaleighForward’s social media reach, fundraising, and newsletter content.
Articles and Resources of interest:
Scott Wiener defeated California NIMBY’s. Can He Fix America’s Housing Crisis? From Mother Jones.
Homebuilder DR Horton begins using AI tool to help accelerate land acquisition due diligence, CNBC reports.
America has an elderly housing crisis. The solution is hiding in your backyard, Business Insider reports.
Mixed-income Neighborhood Trusts Aim to Capture Benefits of Gentrification for Existing Residents. More from Shelterforce.
What is the Biggest Fix the US Needs When it Comes to Housing Policy? From NOTUS.
Raleigh, Durham and Charlotte are near the top of the list of cities in the hotel-to-residence conversions in the US, CBS17 reports.
How Pittsburgh Became one of the Most Affordable Big Cities for Homebuyers in the Nation, via the Washington Post.
After gaining approval from the NC General Assembly, Charlotte/Mecklenburg put a one-cent sales tax increase on the ballot to fund future transit, road and pedestrian/bike improvements. Spending from this permanent revenue stream will generate about 19 billion dollars over 30 years. A 25-member regional commission will decide how this revenue will be allocated. Charlotte’s sales tax will now be 8.25%.
Maybe it’s time Raleigh and Wake County explore seeking approval from the NC General Assembly to increase its transit sales tax rate of ½ cent by an additional ½ cent (current rate is 7.25% ) in order to accelerate the planned transit improvements in the 2016 Wake Transit Plan? More from Axios here.
The Case For Old-Looking, New Affordable Housing, via Dwell.
From the Data Department:
The median cost of Wake County Real Estate increased by $10,000 to $465,000.
Items of Interest in the Week Ahead:
Raleigh City Council meets on November 4. Here are some items of interest:
Staff will update Council on the Downtown Mobility Study and Active Mobility Plans that were reviewed with Council during the October 14 work session. Together, the Downtown Mobility Study and Active Mobility Plan provide direction for a multimodal transportation future both downtown and across the City. The Active Mobility Plan promotes a “Big Jump” of project implementation that positions Raleigh to become a safer, active, and more vibrant city.
The “Big Jump” network consists of pedestrian and bike projects that have been prioritized for implementation over the next 5 years. These projects include sidewalks, shared-use paths, separated bicycle facilities, and neighborhood bikeways to fill existing gaps in the active mobility network and help connect Raleigh residents to a variety of destinations. Click here for the agenda backup.Council will receive an update on the status and implementation of the Raleigh Crisis Alternative Response for Empathy and Support (“CARES”) program.
Staff will ask Council to approve the alignment and schematic plans for the Big Branch Greenway connector. This project is a critical 3.5-mile link that will connect neighborhoods from Sandy Forks Road through to the existing Crabtree Creek Greenway. It will also include 2 multimodal bridges over I-440.
Other items of interest:
Residents have until November 30 to respond to a survey seeking input on Raleigh’s next budget. Please take a few minutes to respond here.
Click here for the latest City Manager Report.
On Monday, November 17 starting at 5:00 pm, Raleigh will hold an open house/information session on the Southern leg of Raleigh’s emerging Bus Rapid Transit system. If you are interested, click here.
If you received a letter from the City inviting you to join the City’s first Civic Assembly (see above), there are 2 information session to answer your questions. One is virtual and will be held on Monday, November 17. The other will be on December 2. Click here for details.