Chatham County has been tapped to join an affordable housing initiative spearheaded by the University of North Carolina (UNC). Known as the "Our State, Our Homes" program, this is part of the Carolina Across 100 initiative aiming to tackle local housing challenges. Chatham is one of the 22 counties on board to benefit from this collaborative effort, and over 18 months, a local coalition of government reps, nonprofit leaders, and housing developers will link arms with UNC experts.
In a plan to assess the housing scene in Chatham, the team promises several community outreach efforts. Engaging residents and sharing knowledge, they are committed to forging collaborative strategies to address the community's housing needs. Jamie Andrews, Chatham County Housing and Community Development Officer, emphasizes the focus on building trustful community relations, per Chatham County's announcement. "We are grateful to be selected for this program and look forward to working with Chatham residents and policy experts to identify short, mid, and long-term goals for future housing efforts," Andrews said. These interactions, rooted in equality and social justice, are meant to ensure all voices are heard and integrated into the development of housing policies.
Team members include various local officials such as Jamie Andrews, Theresa Thompson, Assistant Planning Director of the Town of Pittsboro, and others from the towns of Siler City and Goldston, along with Lee Bowman from Legion Development and Dan Sargent from Rebuilding Together of the Triangle. Rebecca Sommer-Petersen of the Salvation Army completes the consort. Collectively they are gearing up to delve into housing assets, plan community partnerships, and confront any barriers with data and policy specialists from UNC at their side.
"As our housing challenges are not unique to Chatham, we believe this work will be an opportunity to present Chatham as a leader for counties in intentional, equitable housing growth," as Andrews stated on the Chatham County website. Pairing with the Our State, Our Homes program, the Chatham County team aspires not only to improve their local housing circumstances but to set a precedent for other regions grappling with similar issues. Karen Howard, Chair of the Chatham County Board of Commissioners, points out that tackling the housing affordability problem remains a top concern. Howard hopes the program's resources will spark novel partnerships and strategies that can mesh with the broader existing housing efforts in Chatham County.
