Minutes 03-21-2026-Retreat - Laserfiche WebLink

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40 Delores Bailey said housing that is specifically for families earning 50% AMI and below would help. no place to build a four-plex. She said density discussions should include these families and suggested the land use plan specify assistance for this population, including those in manufactured homes and traditionally African American communities facing displacement due to rising property taxes. Blake Rosser said a conversation about the rural buffer is appropriate and its relation to land use planning. Chair Hamilton agreed that there needed to be a diversity of housing for a diversity of incomes. She asked the Board to remember that they can't restrict who comes in. She gave an example of Los Angeles, a place with density but high demand and it's not affordable. She said they need to be realistic about how difficult it may be, and the available methods to protect the homeowners who are here. She liked the ideas for rehabilitating older homes and creating opportunities to help people who want to build ADUs or use their land more flexibly. Vice-Chair Fowler asked if the county could use the land use plan to restrict based on AMI. Commissioner Bedford indicated no. Vice-Chair Fowler said they want to encourage diverse incomes because there is already a problem of concentrating low-income residents. Ian Scott encouraged the Board to look at existing transportation and transit capacity and consider where municipal services could be extended. He said he took a tour of the rural buffer, and it struck him that the county is good at preserving land, but most of it is going into residential use rather than agricultural use. He said by maintaining the boundaries for so long, it pushes demand elsewhere. He said a conservation subdivision may not deliver affordability and he questioned the marketability of that kind of subdivision. Commissioner Greene said there could be interest in conservation subdivisions because of concerns about the environment, and the benefits of smaller lots with land around it conserved. Ian Scott said his main concern is that it may not improve affordability. Ansel Pritchard said conservation subdivisions could have an affordability aspect. He gave the example of Weaver's Grove, which is a mix of 50% market rate and 50% Habitat. He said EMPOWERment is possibly the only organizations serving anything below 40% AMI, and that's because it's too expensive. He said the possibility of doing mixed income homeowners could work. Commissioner Bedford said the county uses HOME funds to help seniors repair homes. She asked Kimberly Sanchez if the Community Home Trust buildings in Carrboro are apartments. Kimberly Sanchez said they are in Chapel Hill, and they are 58-unit apartment buildings. She said low-income tax credits are only for rentals. Commissioner Bedford asked how many units are at the Landings at Winmore operated by CHT and what the waitlist is like. Kimberly Sanchez said 58 and they cut off the waitlist at 25 because they don't have a lot of turnover. Commissioner Bedford asked about balancing rental versus homeownership funding for limited dollars.