Charlotte City Council Committees Meet Following Long Holiday Weekend

From REBIC – 9/8/26

Charlotte City Council committees are meeting today, September 8th. And we are reporting on the Housing Committee. During this session, I was joined by several members of the Canopy Realtor® Association Government Affairs Committee.

Two items of discussion included updates to the City’s Affordable Housing Policy, and a proposed amendment to the minimum housing code which would require air conditioning in all housing units.

During the housing policy discussion, several council members expressed concern about the ongoing housing affordability challenges that exist throughout different parts of the city. Previously, concerns have been raised  about the inability to construct additional affordable housing projects in Districts 6 and 7 where land values tend to be higher, and utilizing the proceeds from the Housing Trust Fund does not achieve the desired number of affordable units in those districts.

On a positive note, several committee members expressed the notion that affordable housing ought to be easier and less costly to build than other housing types, and that additional attention should be focused on the permitting and inspection process where delays are adding to the cost of a home. This is a matter that has long been flagged, and we are continuing to work toward solutions that will refine the process.

Council member LaWana Mayfield, Housing Committee Chair, went on the record with a statement regarding future voluntary annexations into the city. She shared her perspective that if developers want to annex new properties into the city, there should be conditions attached to that action. Those could include fixed housing costs for lower income earners, for a certain number of for-sale or rental units, that may be constructed as a part of such projects.

Following a presentation on the minimum housing code proposal that affects air conditioning, several committee members spoke, but appeared unready to act, as additional data was requested. Because the new ordinance, if enacted, would apply during summer months, the committee determined it needed additional time, and want to consider reaching out to more stakeholders prior to moving ahead with any definitive action.

Rob’s Take: Regarding affordable housing policy, specifically distribution of units, the committee keeps coming back to the political answer of wanting to construct affordable units more broadly throughout the city in order to achieve more socioeconomic integration. This is a lovely sounding goal, but resources are limited and variables are numerous. If we want to cut costs right away, I would encourage city leaders to take a look at their own regulatory framework, and review the time it takes to get through the city/county process. Streamlining that is achievable and could make a more immediately impact on housing costs and encouraging supply, than a broad-based overlay of housing that will certainly have unique requirements and limitations in whatever region they’re constructed.

A very special thanks goes to Canopy Government Affairs Chair Grady Thomas and committee members Chisa Brookes, Kaliah Ligon, Lori Randolph, Dottie Ciarrocchi, Maurice Barnes, and Deon Smith for attending today’s committee meeting. They experienced a first-hand opportunity to practice advocacy in action, and they seized it. Great job today!