DARE COUNTY, N.C. — East Carolina University researchers, partnered with the Dare Community Housing Task Force, hosted a series of six open houses to gather community feedback about the county’s biggest housing challenges.
What You Need To Know
- ECU and Dare Community Housing Task Force are gathering feedback on housing solutions
- $35 million in state funding was returned last year after the community couldn’t agree on a project
- Attendees filled out a survey to get clear data for housing needs
It’s been a year since the Dare County commissioners voted to return $35 million in state funding for affordable housing projects. This came after the community voiced concerns over a county partnership with Coastal Affordable Housing and a provision in the state 2024 budget that prevented municipalities from having a say in where housing would go.
“Based on that moment that we thought maybe, you know, maybe it's not about the housing itself. It's now about the pricing. So it's probably something that people don't want to have the housing in their backyard,” said Dr. Misun Hur, associate professor in community and regional planning at East Carolina. “So we reached out to the housing commission, their community housing task force and asked if we can research about the housing.”
Along with partner Dr. Emily P. Yeager, they asked attendees including local residents, business owners and workers to fill out a survey to get clear data for housing needs.
Attendees were asked about transportation needs, how much they spend monthly on housing and what types of housing (apartments, single family homes, etc.) they would like to see in their community.
“I think I mean, you always have to have hope, right? You always want to think that something can change” said Trip Forman, resident and owner of Real Watersports, Watermen's Retreat and Watermen's Bar and Grill.
He said he moved to the area in 1991 after many attempts at workforce housing.
“You know, so far there hasn't been a lot of progress. I think we're still in the investigation stages… But I think the majority of the businesses out there are still looking for answers. I think we need to come together as a community and look at the what's the right size for these developments, you know, whether it be single family or multifamily or complexes,” Forman said.
He attended an open house in Rodanthe and is hopeful the task force will be successful.
“You know, we have our own plan that that's working. But we're always looking to see what's on the horizonand how it can help our business,” Forman said.
Hur said the community may be divided on a solution but has to put its future first.
“They don't have to be completely supportive of a certain idea, but they can if they know that if we have to survive and think about our future for our next generation in this area, kind of over at all this part, I can be OK with it,” Hur said.
More information about the study can be found here. For more information about the Dare Community Housing Task Force, please visit hereor contact Dare Community Housing Task Force Chair Donna Creef atdvcreef@gmail.com.
