AFFORDABLE HOUSING PLAN
City of Morrisville, NC
how does one town define and meet its share of local responsibility for a housing challenge that is regional?
SUMMARY
In 2019, the Town of Morrisville, NC retained czb to develop an affordable housing plan. The plan relied upon analysis with a regional perspective, taking into account the complex web of employment and housing markets within the Research Triangle. While acknowledging the regional nature of the housing issues, it recommended a handful of initiatives the Town could undertake on its own to further its goals. These included a public employee housing choice program and a combination of master leasing, land purchases, and density bonuses for new housing that would be affordable to lower-income workers.
.
Placing Morrisville in Regional Context
The Research Triangle and the larger Raleigh-Durham region contain dozens of local jurisdictions across a number of counties. All of these places are residential centers and many are also job centers. Before Morrisville could devise a housing plan, it was critical to understand which issues were regional, which were local, and which regional or local issues could best be addressed at the local level.
Taking Action
The plan recommended a package of initiatives to increase local housing choices for public sector employees and low-wage workers, including a master leasing program, public land purchases, and density bonuses.
RELATED WORK
