Low-Income Housing in Eastern North Carolina

Abstract

The problem with the quality of housing in low-income areas is critical. Most of this housing is old and outdated which puts homeowners at risk for health problems and safety. The main purpose behind this research is to dive into how wages affect how affordable housing is, whether apartments or houses. Due to increased knowledge of the problem, policies were set in place to try to fix many issues. These policies were across all the types of government, Federal, State, and Local. On the Federal level, policies such as the Moving to Opportunity program, the Neighborhood Stabilization Program, and the Cares Act helped get low-income residents to move into better areas, but still able to afford housing they would need. On the State level, Housing Choice Vouchers and the Rental Assistance Demonstration do well for private and public housing developers since they are more tailored towards what that area needs. Local level policies will include the interviews I conduct that will give me a better insight into how these areas function and what is needed. The article that I derived most of the research from was Housing for North Carolina’s Future, since it gave me the best way to look at geographical areas and timespans. My investigation will include two forms of research methods, the secondary data analysis, and interviews. The geographical area will be focused on eastern NC, more specifically the rural areas. Focusing on the past 10 to 15 years helps with seeing how trends have changed, and then looking 10-15 years into the future to anticipate where the places are heading. Lastly, interviews will be conducted to have primary data and to hear from people with professional experiences and knowledge. I am expecting to find the differences in the way that rural and urban cities are governed and what means they have to tackle this problem. By comparing the two, we can see how their policies affect their communities and the residents. By looking at how income plays different roles, I will be able to conclude what will need to change in the present and what will be needed for the future so that families get good housing that is both cheap but safe.