Members of the Cabarrus chapter of Down Home North Carolina, a statewide nonprofit working to uplift and empower poor and working-class citizens in rural counties, are working to shine a spotlight on a topic that affects people throughout the county: the rapid increase in housing prices.
As part of “One New Fund, Many New Homes,” the name of the 2024 project, the Cabarrus chapter is working not only to raise awareness about the rising prices of apartments and homes in the area, but to call on the Cabarrus County Board of Commissioners to help alleviate the issue.
The group is asking the county commission to allocate $5 million, or roughly 1% of the total budget, into a new revolving-door fund for affordable housing. The fund would grant low-interest loans to nonprofit housing organizations, including WeBuild Concord and Habitat for Humanity, for the development of new affordable housing options for residents.
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“There is a housing crisis in Cabarrus County,” Jasmine Lewter, regional director of the Cabarrus chapter, told the Independent Tribune, noting that Cabarrus ranks 5th out of the 100 counties in North Carolina for the highest number of evictions, slightly worse than in 2023, when Cabarrus was ranked 6th. “The rent that is being charged for these new developments, it’s not affordable to the people who have lived here, do live here and are native to this community.”
The median rent for a two-bedroom apartment in Concord, for example, is $1,374, according to data from Zillow, about 12% higher than across North Carolina, where the median rent is $1,227, and on par with Charlotte, which has a median rent of $1,388.
“We want to make Cabarrus County a place where people want to stay and not a place where they’re forced to leave because they can’t afford to live here,” Lewter added.
The group earlier this year canvassed neighborhoods in Concord and Kannapolis to better understand the issues most impacting residents. Lewter mentioned recently conversing with residents in the Logan Community who talked about their rent increasing $100 each year without any improvements to their living conditions.
After debating several options during its March chapter meeting, members coalesced around affordable housing as its campaign for this year.
The Cabarrus chapter is a diverse group, comprised of around 50 dues-paying members of all backgrounds, with ages ranging from 17 to 74. “We learn from each other,” said member Nancy Hoffarth.
The group recently began circulating a petition to request the county commissioners create the revolving-door fund for affordable housing. A total of 70 people have signed as of April 23; the goal is to garner 1,000 signatures before mid-June, when the county commissioners approve the 2024-25 budget.
The Cabarrus chapter of Down Home has had success achieving tangible results in the past, including last year’s “Evict Less, House More” campaign.
The idea of creating a revolving fund to help with affordable housing development was first brought to the attention of Down Home members about a year ago by Dr. Patrick Graham, chief executive director of WeBuild Concord.
“What’s great about the concept (of a revolving fund) is it will renew itself and you will have several projects done with the same dollar,” Graham said.
Graham is appreciative that the Cabarrus chapter is advocating for the establishment of the fund. “It’s great that they want to take this on,” he said.
Due to the group’s dedication and persistence, including speaking during public comments at County Commission meetings, key changes were enacted in the fiscal 2024 budget to the Emergency Assistance program, which provides financial assistance to individuals who have recently suffered a documented crisis, such as being evicted.
These included increasing the maximum amount families can receive from $500 to $1,000; removing restrictions that landlords have to be registered with the county as local vendors; and letting unused funds roll into the next fiscal year.
As part of the group’s advocacy last year, “I think we realized that evictions are downstream,” Hoffarth said. “But that’s not the cause. We just had to go upstream ... and the cause is that housing, whether it’s buying a home or renting a home, has just increased exponentially.”
Member Alice Gamble said she dislikes the term “affordable housing” because it implies that there is some universal standard that is acceptable to all residents of the community.
“If you’re in a low-income area, those people’s salaries are nothing like people who live around the country club,” Gamble said. “It’s hard for them, especially if they have children, to pay rent for $1,500.”
Several of the Cabarrus chapter members spoke during the April 15 Board of Commissioners meeting, where they formally introduced the 2024 campaign to the commissioners.
“People here cannot afford to stay in their homes because there are not enough affordable homes,” Lewter told the commissioners during public comment, calling the situation “truly dire.”
“We at Down Home do believe that we have a solution that fits into your budget and we hope you are willing to work with us again to build a better and healthier Cabarrus County,” Lewter continued.
The group has contacted each commissioner and hopes to have conversations with them going forward.
For more information about Down Home North Carolina or how to volunteer with the Cabarrus chapter, people can contact Lewter at jasmine@downhomenc.org.