Jason Deans

former Chief of Staff to past US Congressman Patrick McHenry

RALEIGH — North Carolina’s housing crisis has created a forgotten class: working families who earn too much to qualify for many assistance programs but too little to buy a home near their jobs.

They are teachers, nurses, first responders, municipal employees, and young professionals. They earn a decent living, serve the communities around them, and increasingly cannot afford to live in those communities.

The numbers tell the story. Home prices have outpaced wage growth for decades, and in 14 of North Carolina’s 15 largest metro areas, a family earning the local median income can no longer afford a median-priced home. For many working households, those prices do not represent opportunity. They represent a closed door.

As that door closes, more families are resorting to “drive till you qualify”: moving farther from employment centers until they reach a community where housing costs fit their budget. A 45- to 60-minute commute may make the mortgage math work, but it carries a steep human cost. Time that could be spent helping children with homework, caring for relatives, or recovering after a demanding shift is instead lost behind the wheel. Families also pay more for gas, vehicle maintenance, and childcare, all to reach jobs in communities where they can no longer afford to live.

Meanwhile, the cost of homeownership continues to rise beyond the purchase price. Higher property taxes and insurance premiums push monthly expenses further out of reach, even for households that have managed to save for a down payment.

At its core, North Carolina’s affordability crisis is a supply crisis. The North Carolina Housing Finance Agency estimates that the state faces a 764,000-home gap. But North Carolina does not simply need more housing. It needs more types of housing at more price points in the places where people work and build their lives.

That must include quality single-family rental homes. Families who are not ready or able to buy still need space, stability, and access to strong communities. Single-family rentals can provide those benefits without requiring a large down payment, a long-term mortgage, or responsibility for major repairs.

For a household saving toward homeownership, that flexibility can create breathing room and financial stability. For a family with children, it can mean access to a yard, an extra bedroom, or a neighborhood closer to school and work. For seniors on fixed incomes, it can offer a home that better suits changing needs without the burdens of ownership.

The benefits may extend across generations. Research from UNC Charlotte and Virginia Tech suggests that access to single-family rental homes in stronger school districts can help children attend higher-performing public schools, opening doors that may otherwise remain closed to families who cannot purchase homes in those neighborhoods.

Renting is neither a niche nor a lesser housing choice. About one-third of Americans rent, and for millions of households, it is not merely a step toward ownership. It is a practical response to economic realities. Housing policy should reflect how families live, rather than assume every household is ready, willing, or financially able to buy.

That is why policymakers should be cautious about proposals that discourage the creation of rental housing. Policies that restrict institutional investment in high-quality rental homes may sound like a good idea to address rising costs, but reducing investment will not produce more homes. It will narrow housing choices in a state that already has too few.

Federal policymakers took an important step in July by enacting the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act. North Carolina should build on that momentum, not undercut it with new barriers to building, renovating, or operating housing. State and local leaders should modernize zoning, streamline permitting, invest in infrastructure, and remove obstacles that keep new homes from reaching the market.

The people who teach our children, care for our patients, protect our neighborhoods, and keep our communities running should not have to spend two hours a day commuting simply to find a home they can afford. North Carolina’s working families do not need fewer choices. They need more homes, more flexibility, and a fair chance to live in the communities they serve.

Editor’s note: The opinions or views of this author are not necessarily shared by this publication.