Nearly 1,000 residents and community leaders gathered on Saturday, September 19 in Raleigh to demand concrete action in the face of the affordable housing crisis affecting Wake County.
The assembly, organized by ONE Wake at the Catholic Community of St. Francis of Assisi, brought together members of religious congregations, neighborhood organizations, elected officials, and candidates for municipal positions.
During the meeting, the organization presented specific projects and requested public commitments to expand the access to housing and prevent the displacement of families.
According to ONE Wake, the county faces a shortage of more than 67,000 affordable homes.
The organization noted that the region's growth, rising costs, and insufficient supply particularly affect workers, school and health staff, and low- and moderate-income families.
A $101.5 million bond for affordable housing
One of the central topics of the assembly was the referendum on a $101.5 million bond for affordable housing that the city of Raleigh will put on the next ballot.
ONE Wake He attributed the inclusion of the measure to years of community organizing, collecting signatures, and public actions to pressure municipal authorities.
According to the organization, the bonus would not increase the property taxes of the residents.
The funds would allow for expanded production and preservation of affordable housing. They also support homeownership options for working families and develop projects on public land or land belonging to religious institutions.
Among the initiatives mentioned are The Carr Center, on the property of Greenwood Forest Baptist Church, and the Lincoln Park project.
ONE Wake also promotes its Nehemiah Housing strategy, a model aimed at facilitating affordable homeownership.
At the end of the meeting, the organizers announced that they would mobilize voters to support the referendum.
Three specific requests to the candidates
Among those in attendance were: Wake County Commissioners Tara Waters, Susan Evans, and Shinica Thomas; Commissioners and candidates for reelection, Cheryl Stallings and Safiyah Jackson; and candidates for county at-large seats, Christine Kushner, Gary Hartong, and Mona Singh.
Also in attendance were Raleigh City Council candidates Sana Siddiqui, Clark Rinehart and Joshua Bradley —who are running for at-large seats—, Whitney Hill, candidate for District A, and Jared S. Ollison, candidate for District C.
Brittany Richards, current District A councillor, will represent the city of Cary.
They all responded publicly to three specific requests from ONE Wake.
1) Support the affordable housing projects in Greenwood Forest and Lincoln Park.
2) Tour the Lincoln Park neighborhood and the site where the project will be developed with ONE Wake.
3) Meet with the organization again in six months.
“Housing affordability is one of the biggest challenges facing our city,” he commented. Sana Siddiqui, candidate for Raleigh City Council, to Enlace Latino NC .
Siddiqui explained that as Raleigh continues to grow, More housing options are needed at different prices. “We must take deliberate steps to ensure that low- and moderate-income residents have alternatives that allow them to remain in their communities,” he said.
Community participation
Siddiqui highlighted the direct participation of residents in the conversation.
“Addressing a challenge of this magnitude requires city leadership, housing organizations, developers, and residents to work together, and that’s precisely what this event was all about,” he said.
The candidate added that the conversation went beyond acknowledging the lack of affordable housing, because ONE Wake presented defined projects, directly involved residents, and set clear expectations to continue the work.
The organization assured that it will follow up on the commitments expressed during the assembly, with the goal of turning them into public policies and housing projects.
He also indicated that his Homeownership to Equity campaign will continue to promote the production of affordable units and purchasing opportunities for working families in Wake.
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