Dare County selected to participate in UNC Chapel Hill affordable housing initiative: “Our State, Our Homes”

The Dare Community Housing Task Force has been selected as one of 22 counties across North Carolina to participate in the innovative “Our State, Our Homes” program, led by the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Across 100 initiative. This highly competitive program will bring together experts, resources and community leaders to tackle the growing challenge of affordable housing in our region.

“Our State, Our Homes” is a statewide program designed to improve access to and availability of affordable housing in North Carolina. Beginning on January 16, 2025, teams from 14 communities representing 22 counties—including Dare County—will collaborate across sectors, utilizing a variety of tools and resources to develop innovative, data-driven strategies tailored to their unique housing challenges. This comprehensive 18-month initiative will connect participating communities with expert coaching, technical assistance, and a network of national and state housing experts.

Housing continues to be a critical issue in Dare County. According to the Dare Community Housing Task Force’s 2024 final report, titled “Housing for Now and Future Generations,” nearly one-third of Dare County households (4,568) are considered cost-burdened, spending more than 30 percent of their gross income on housing expenses, such as mortgage or rent, and taxes and insurance. Lack of housing options impacts the local economy, the ability of local businesses to hire and retain an adequate workforce, educational opportunities and the quality of life of our residents. Additionally, as a coastal community, natural hazards and the spatial geography of Dare County also influence housing.

Participation in the “Our State, Our Homes” program positions Dare County and the Dare Community Housing Task Force to address these unique challenges head-on in collaboration with experts from the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s Carolina Across 100 initiative. Through the program, the Dare Community Housing Task Force will have the opportunity to:

• Develop a deeper, data-driven understanding of local housing needs.
• Strengthen partnerships among government, business, civic and nonprofit organizations.
• Implement innovative strategies to improve housing affordability and availability.
• Learn from and collaborate with peer communities across the state.

Dare County’s inclusion in this initiative is a major achievement—more than half of North Carolina’s 100 counties applied to participate, underscoring the urgency of addressing the affordable housing issue statewide. To be selected as one of only 22 counties reflects the strength of Dare County’s leadership and commitment to addressing this pressing issue.

“Being chosen for ‘Our State, Our Homes’ is a significant step forward in our efforts to create sustainable and acceptable housing solutions for Dare County,” said Dare Community Housing Task Force Chair Donna Creef. “Our participation in this collaborative program will provide us with key resources and expertise to continue work to tackle this critical issue and to ensure all of our residents have access to safe and attainable housing in our community that is within their household incomes.”

The program officially kicks off on January 16, 2025, and over the course of 18 months Dare County and other selected teams from throughout North Carolina will develop high-impact tools for facilitating community conversations, analyze local housing contexts and implement actionable strategies to improve housing affordability. Knowledge and information gained from these collaborations will be shared publicly to benefit communities across the state.

For more information about Dare County’s involvement in the “Our State, Our Homes” program, please contact Dare Community Housing Task Force Chair Donna Creef at dvcreef@gmail.com.

To learn more about the “Our State, Our Homes” program, click here. For more information about the Dare Community Housing Task Force—including a list of current members, upcoming meetings and meeting minutes, as well as to view the task force’s 2024 final report, titled “Housing for Now and Future Generations”—please visit DareNC.gov/Housing.

About “Our State, Our Homes”

Launched in September 2024, “Our State, Our Homes” is the fifth program under Carolina Across 100, a five-year initiative led by the ncIMPACT Initiative. This program builds on the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill’s commitment to addressing key challenges in North Carolina communities through data-driven decision-making, capacity building and collaboration. Carolina Across 100 is funded by the Office of the Chancellor and private foundations, with support from the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative.