The Summit at High Point University provides county-based data and recommendations to provide housing access in North Carolina
On Sept. 27, the Carolina Core Housing Summit revealed the findings of an extensive housing study covering all 21 counties within the Carolina Core region, spanning from the Cape Fear region to areas of the Triangle and into the foothills.
NC REALTORS®, in collaboration with Bowen National Research, conducted surveys involving thousands of individuals and employers and analyzed data from hundreds of thousands of housing units across the region. The in-depth report contains actionable data that can be used across the region as well as individually with each county. It offers a detailed look at available housing stock, planned developments and in-depth demographic data.
Key findings of the report highlight a significant portion of residents facing housing cost burdens.
- Housing affordability is an ongoing challenge for many of the region’s renter and owner households.
- The region has an insufficient inventory of available-for-sale housing to meet existing and projected housing needs, particularly products priced under $200,000.
- Feedback provided by employers in the Carolina Core region states that the majority have had difficulty attracting employees due to the area’s housing issues, while a notable share of respondents indicated that these issues have also presented barriers to employee retention.
- Consideration should be given to local zoning and land use policies and if they support current and projected housing needs of each area.
According to the report’s author and president of Bowen National Research, Patrick Bowen, “The Carolina Core Region has experienced and is expected to experience significant population and household growth for the foreseeable future. While such growth brings challenges, in terms of availability and affordability of housing, it also brings numerous opportunities for residential development and economic investment. The key now will be how the region, and more importantly, individual communities and counties prioritize and support housing efforts moving forward. The regional housing needs assessment will help communities make data-informed decisions as they address their housing needs.”
The goal of the Carolina Core Housing Summit is to present this data and unite key decision-makers around building solutions, based on important takeaways:
- Housing solutions are needed across all income levels
- Coalition capacity is needed at the local level to bring all voices together
- The challenge is urgent, but solutions are achievable
“The goal of this summit is two-fold. One, to bring much-needed attention to this critical issue of housing access and affordability in communities spanning our state,” said John McPherson, NC REALTORS 2025 President. “Two, and equally as important, is to bring solution-oriented conversation and recommendations based on the findings of this comprehensive report that local communities, business leaders and elected officials can take back home and implement.”
The summit convened policymakers, employers and community leaders, aiming to drive the development of affordable housing solutions. The newly released study equips stakeholders with critical data to inform actionable strategies for addressing the region's housing challenges.
The Carolina Core Housing Summit is a joint initiative of NC REALTORS®, the Piedmont Triad Regional Partnership, NC Carolina Core and 11 Local REALTOR® Associations.
For further information, or to request the full report, please contact Katharine Wendt at kwendt@ncrealtors.org.
About Carolina Core
The Carolina Core—a 150+ mile swath of central North Carolina anchored by Greensboro, Winston-Salem, High Point and Fayetteville—has emerged as the state’s next economic engine, propelled by billions of dollars of recent investment from innovative companies from around the world.