April 19, 2026 Newsletter

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Join RaleighForward, Wakeup and CityBuilder on Earth Day for an event celebrating Wake County’s trees!

Grow? Or protect trees and green space? These are the questions cities are debating in municipalities across the country. Join RaleighForward and WakeUP Wake County this Wednesday to learn how we can have both – through careful planning, prioritizing density over sprawl, and replanting in strategic areas. Sip on refreshments, mingle with your neighbors, hear from national experts, and bring home a free tree. RSVP: tinyurl.com/onecanopy.

Wake County Housing Symposium: Aligning for Impact

Wake County’s first Housing Symposium brings together leaders across sectors to align strategies, share progress, and drive collective action toward housing affordability. Through data, dialogue, and partnership, this event explores how Wake County and its partners are advancing equitable housing solutions, scaling innovation, and shaping the future of affordable housing together.

The event is on Tuesday, April 21st starting at 9:30.

RaleighForward Founder Eric Braun will be a speaker on the Housing as an Economic Strategy: Business Leaders at the Table panel discussion at 1pm. David Meeker, Albert Alwang and Kayli Thompson will also feature.

Register here.

RaleighForward in the News:

Eric Braun and RaleighForward were featured in two News & Observer articles about Raleigh’s growth challenges. More local coverage is needed on urban policies and how Raleigh is trying to manage growth responsibly.

1. “Raleigh resident Larry King doesn’t hide his disgust at the view from his backyard: a sprawling heap of splintered tree trunks and rotting timber, left behind by a developer who cleared the land last summer but hasn’t finished the job. ‘The neighborhood is still a disaster zone,’ said the 87‑year‑old retiree. He’s lived on Lorimer Road in southwest Raleigh’s Avent West subdivision since the early 1980s. ‘It’s sad to see so many magnificent oak trees cut down.’” Continue reading.

2. “From her one-story ranch house on Lassiter Mill Road, a retired Raleigh physician has spent two decades watching North Hills’ Main District rise around her. What began as a 1960s enclosed mall has become a dense, 12-story district with offices, apartments and retail. From her front yard, she’s also observed the churn of trucks and dust remake her block into what she calls ‘an extension of the construction site.’” Continue reading.

Articles of interest this week:

1. OPINION: This is Why America is Short Four Million Homes.

2. Rebuilding After Fires, L.A. Neighbors Join Forces and Innovate.

3. The US is Short 10 Million Houses. A New White House Report Lays Out a Blueprint to Fix That.

4. How Austin’s Stunning Drop in Rents Explains Housing in America. Also, here is a Pew Charitable Trust Analysis of Austin’s Housing Surge and its Impacts.

5. Single-family Homes Aren’t Just for Nuclear Families.

6. Drive for More Housing Sparks Rare Bipartisanship in Statehouses.

7. Innovations in Small House Construction Make Homeownership Attainable.

8. OPINION: Taxing LA Mansions Likely Hindered Efforts to Build Affordable Housing. Can it be Fixed?

9. Cities Invest In 3D Printing Homes to Solve Housing Challenges.

10. State vs. Local, State vs. State.

From the Data Department:

Wake County’s median price of real estate remained at $450,000 for the month of March, according to the Wake County Register of Deeds. You can see the trend for median real estate sales over the past 12 months above. The highest median price was hit last June at $495.5K. So far, the median sale price has remained steady at $450K in 2026.

This is an interesting chart from ResiClub showing the housing markets where home prices are falling year-over-year. You will find a lot of North Carolina cities featured.

Raleigh City Council’s next meeting is Tuesday, April 21, 2026. Here are a couple of items to keep an eye on:

1. During its 11:30 work session, Council will receive an update from staff on the GoRaleigh Transportation system, including updates on implementing the 2016 Wake Transit Plan, the hub and spoke system and various safety and security issues.

2. During its regular meeting, Council will receive information from staff related to the process for placing a $203 Million bond on the November 2026 Ballot with the amount being split evenly between housing and transportation.

3. Staff will present Council with a proposal to award $9,893,845 in conditional gap financing for the construction of approximately 491 new rental units across 5 developments, including the first phase of the Heritage Park redevelopment by the Raleigh Housing Authority.

4. Council will conduct a public hearing on Rezoning Z-37-25, which seeks to rezone approximately 8.95 acres from R-10 w/Special Residential Parking Overlay and RX-3 w/ Special Residential Parking Overlay to RX-4 w/Special residential Parking Overlay. The proposed change would allow for up to 478 residential units and 8,000 square feet of office and retail uses.

Other items of interest:

1. This New Bern Avenue Station Area Plan contains an interesting history of New Bern Avenue. It’s worth revisiting now that the New Bern BRT is under construction.

2. Click here for the latest City Manager Report.