6-figure income households now qualify for "affordable housing" in the Triangle. That's housing available only to people making less than 80% of the median income in a metro area.
@theonollert.bsky.social
Making housing cheaper means tackling the cost of capital and making predictable rules about what you're allowed to build where.
New Substack about how housing costs have outpaced incomes this century - and what we can do to fight poverty, increase incomes, and make housing more affordable theonollert.substack.com/p/housing-co...
Chapel Hill needs more housing options for undergrads and grad students! It's hard to find good, affordable options. Our land use rules make it even harder than it has to be!
theonollert.substack.com/p/the-town-c... The Council stalled Wednesday night on positive land use reforms to legalize more homes on smaller lots. When we come back in January, we'll try again--and I'll ask to include triplexes and quadplexes in the legislation.
The Town Council Takes a Swing and a Miss
Wednesday night's stalemate at Town Hall defies common sense
theonollert.substack.com
Geoff Green@geoffgreen.org · 9mo agoPhew, sometimes I think Chapel Hill Town Council has turned the corner then blammo, a shitshow like tonight happens. A set of commonplace land use amendments fails to pass 4-4 (we're down one council member), and it's not clear at all why the opponents voted against it.
What is affordable housing? Who is it for, and how do we get more of it? (Hint: legalize more kinds of housing, get rid of poison pill regulations, and get creative with public housing loan funds!)
The President is taking over DC to distract from the Epstein files. Real community safety programs are about harm reduction - and the biggest threat to public safety today is financial desperation driven by high costs and low incomes.
Legalizing single-stair buildings would reduce housing costs across North Carolina. It's not yet a partisan issue, so your legislator should be able to listen when you ask for it!
You can now catch a GoTriangle bus every 15 minutes between downtown Chapel Hill and downtown Durham on the 400 and 405 lines! Free for youths, seniors, and low-income riders, and lots of discounts for local employees.
Parents are struggling to find affordable childcare in North Carolina. Actually, they're struggling to find childcare at all: five families compete for every spot in a licensed facility. We need universal pre-K!
We need politicians across North Carolina to step up and support more affordable housing!
The towns of Chapel Hill and Carrboro are coordinating with Orange County to support disaster relief: crisiscleanup.org/survivor +19102181569
Flood recovery center opening at the Drakeford Library in Carrboro!
Links to volunteer needs across the Triangle: theonollert.substack.com/p/how-to-hel...
My housing philosophy, summed up. Thanks to Brighton and @wchlchapelboro.bsky.social for the chance to say it!
Senseless acts of violence like the Minnesota shootings are designed to terrify and intimidate us into silence, and I don't think anyone who holds office should be silent in the face of violence that threatens the foundations of our democracy.
Here's a story you might have missed: one Republican in Raleigh forced city councils across North Carolina to raise property taxes.
Enjoyed biking up Manning Drive to the UNC Men's Baseball team win over Holy Cross! One of the attendants insisted that we could not possibly have biked there when we ducked under a rope to retrieve our bikes. Here's the proof! 😂
🗣️Calling all @orangedemsnc.bsky.social! Join Councilor @theonollert.bsky.social, NCDP Judicial Caucus Director Becca Zerkin, OCDP 1st VC Linda Cohen, friendly neighbors, and me this Sunday, 6/1 to build power door-to-door in Orange Co. It’s time to hold Sen. Tillis accountable! #ncpol
Lots of chatter today about old leaders. I'm very pleased to have administered the oath of office today to a young leader - Adolfo Alvarez, UNC's new student body president!
I was happy to vote yes on more affordable workforce housing close to downtown! chapelboro.com/news/housing...
Chapel Hill Council Approves Affordable Workforce Housing Community Along MLK Boulevard - Chapelboro.com
The Chapel Hill Town Council recently unanimously approved a proposed affordable workforce housing community close to downtown.
chapelboro.com
As Chapel Hill continues to implement their “Everywhere to Everywhere” greenways project, one of the challenges is getting people to utilize bike and pedestrian transportation. That led to the establishment of the Chapel Hill E-Bike Lending Library.
It's Electric! Chapel Hill E-Bike Lending Library Program Underway - Chapelboro.com
As the Town of Chapel Hill continues to implement their “Everywhere to Everywhere” greenways project, one of the challenges is convincing more people to utilize bike and pedestrian transportation inst...
chapelboro.com
Here's why houses are so hard to find - and so expensive - in Chapel Hill. Fortunately, we could make changes that would help! theonollert.substack.com/p/why-for-sa...
Why For-Sale Housing is Scarce in Chapel Hill
Our policies make it hard to build everything except really big single family homes
theonollert.substack.com
Kudos to @prohousingpgh.org and their successful advocacy that’s led to Pittsburgh’s eliminating minimum lot sizes per units and eliminating and/or reducing minimum lot sizes citywide! youtu.be/a80zoANs6JY?...
Pro-Housing Pittsburgh Members Support Min Lot Size Reform
YouTube video by Pro-Housing Pittsburgh
youtu.be
Chapel Hill will soon adopt a new budget and a new tax rate. Since 2022, costs have risen 5-6X faster than new revenues. My latest substack post breaks down why this happens and what we need to do about it. theonollert.substack.com/p/chapel-hil...
