Gov. Josh Stein on Tuesday signed Executive Order No. 36, pitching it as a statewide push to expand affordable housing by getting state agencies on the same page, speeding up construction and trimming costs. The move puts housing squarely at the top of his administration’s to-do list as North Carolina’s population growth keeps outpacing the supply of homes.
Executive Order No. 36 instructs leaders in cabinet agencies to work together to boost housing supply, bring down housing-related costs and widen access to affordable homes, according to CBS17. The directive also calls for chipping away at regulatory barriers that can delay and drive up construction, and for strengthening apprenticeships and workforce programs so there are more skilled workers to actually build what is planned.
Janneke Ratcliffe, formerly vice president of the Housing and Communities division at the Urban Institute, was tapped as the new senior advisor tasked with defining the state’s housing strategy and coordinating with local governments and private partners, as reported by WRAL. Ratcliffe said the state needs a wider mix of housing options so young households and middle-income workers can put down roots instead of being priced out of the communities where they work.
State figures cited by the administration highlight the scale of the problem. Officials say North Carolina is staring at a projected shortfall of more than 750,000 housing units by 2029, roughly half of renters spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and planners estimate Wake County alone needs about 100,000 new units, according to CBS17. The administration also pointed to a local affordability gap showing carpenters can afford only about 8% of entry-level homes in Raleigh, a data point Stein used to underscore how wages and housing costs have drifted apart.
What the Order Seeks To Change
Stein said the order tells state agencies to prioritize housing in long-range planning, better align funding and technical assistance, and partner with builders to find ways to cut permitting delays and other costs, according to WRAL. The timing is not accidental. It lands as the General Assembly weighs bills such as HB 1072, which would set up a revolving loan fund to help affordable housing developers cover expensive predevelopment and infrastructure work.
Next Steps And Open Questions
As an executive action, the order lays out a framework but leaves many of the real-world changes to agency rulemaking and, potentially, to whatever the legislature decides to do next. Housing advocates say the ultimate impact will depend on whether the state backs coordination with actual funding and local zoning reforms that can make it easier to build. State officials say the new senior advisor and cabinet agencies will begin crafting specific recommendations over the coming months.
For now, the order plants a clear flag in Raleigh’s policy debates, casting workforce development and regulatory reform as central tools in the fight to rein in housing costs across North Carolina.
