Housing

in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 3, 2025

SB 196: Winston-Salem/Forsyth Co. Planning and Zoning.

This bill revises Winston-Salem and Forsyth County zoning laws to clarify the joint City-County Planning Board's authority over zoning changes and promote affordable housing. It allows the city to offer density bonuses - permitting more housing units than normally allowed - to developers who build or donate land for low/moderate-income housing. The bill also establishes two zoning district types: "general use" districts (permitting multiple land uses without specifying the intended use) and "special use" districts (requiring developers to specify a single use, like a park or apartment building, with conditions set by the City Council). These changes directly affect property owners, developers, and residents in Winston-Salem and the three-mile area surrounding the city, where zoning regulations now extend.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingAllows density bonuses for low/moderate-income housing, directly promoting affordable housing development through zoning incentives.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Land Use Zoning

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Feb 27, 2025

SB 184: System Development Fees/Exemption.

SB 184 allows North Carolina local governments to exempt properties being developed for affordable housing from system development fees (such as those for water and sewer infrastructure). It requires local units to establish their own criteria for determining which housing projects qualify as "affordable" for the exemption. The bill does not change existing fee structures but gives localities flexibility to support affordable housing development. This directly affects developers building affordable housing projects and local governments that set these fees.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingExempts affordable housing projects from development fees, lowering costs for developers to build such units and directly advancing affordable housing goals.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Building Codes Property Taxes

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 3, 2025

SB 199: Home Ownership Market Manipulation.

SB 199 prohibits business entities (like corporations or rental companies) from owning 100 or more single-family homes in qualifying North Carolina counties (population >150,000) for rental purposes. It targets large-scale investors whose buying practices may reduce home availability and increase prices for owner-occupants. Violators face daily fines up to $100 per home and potential civil lawsuits with damages, including up to $50,000 in penalties. The law specifically applies to rental properties, not owner-occupied homes, and excludes government entities.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingProhibits large-scale investor ownership to increase home availability and reduce prices for owner-occupants, directly advancing affordable housing access.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Homeownership Landlords

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 3, 2025

SB 200: Housing Support for Hurricane Impacted Areas.

SB 200 allocates $150 million in one-time state funds to the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund specifically for housing relief in counties affected by Hurricane Helene. This funding will support housing assistance for residents displaced or damaged by the hurricane in areas designated under a federal major disaster declaration. The bill directs the funds to be administered through existing housing program rules (Chapter 122E of state law) for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. It directly benefits hurricane-impacted homeowners, renters, and communities in designated counties. The bill becomes effective July 1, 2025.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAllocates $150M from state budget for hurricane housing relief, directly funding public services through existing appropriations mechanisms per bill's summary and subjects.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingAllocates $150M to Housing Trust Fund for hurricane-displaced residents' housing assistance, directly funding housing relief through existing programs.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Housing Finance

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 3, 2025

HB 245: Affordable Housing in Rural Areas.

HB 245 modifies North Carolina's low-income housing tax credit program to prioritize affordable housing development in rural communities and counties with higher poverty rates. It requires the state housing committee to adopt allocation rules that favor projects within 10 miles of amenities (like grocery stores) in towns under 10,000 people, measure distances by straight-line radius (not driving routes), and use poverty levels as a tiebreaker when projects score equally. The bill directs the committee to publish proposed rules for public comment and hold hearings before finalizing annual allocation plans. This policy change redirects existing housing tax credits toward qualifying rural and high-poverty areas without creating new funding. The bill takes effect October 1, 2025, for future allocation plans.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesModifies tax credit program to allocate state housing funds toward rural affordable housing, directing fiscal resources to prioritize high-poverty areas and essential housing needs.85% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingBill modifies tax credit program to prioritize rural affordable housing development, uses poverty as tiebreaker, and requires amenities proximity rules - directly advancing affordable housing access in underserved areas.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Tax Credits Tax Incentives Affordable Housing Homeownership Housing Finance Tags Rural Communities

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 5, 2025

HB 267: Expunging Certain Eviction Records.

HB 267 automatically expunges court records for certain eviction cases in North Carolina, directly affecting tenants (defendants) in summary ejectment proceedings. It requires clerks to automatically delete records 30 days after cases are voluntarily dismissed before a possession order is issued. For cases where defendants win on the merits or lose but wait three years, they may petition for expungement after proving housing stability (e.g., consistent rent payments and no new eviction filings). The bill takes effect October 2025, with required court forms to be developed by September 2025.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingAutomatically expunges eviction records to prevent future housing barriers, directly protecting tenant rights and improving housing access for vulnerable residents.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Renters Tenant Rights

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 17, 2025

SB 291: Regulation of Short-Term Rentals.

SB 291 limits cities' ability to regulate short-term rentals (like Airbnb) by prohibiting ordinances that ban them, restrict rental nights, require owner occupancy, or classify them as commercial use. Cities may still require a $25 permit for short-term rentals, with revocation only after five health/safety violations (after allowing appeal), and must enforce occupancy limits (two adults per bedroom), parking plans, residential zoning compliance, and posting of local noise/waste/parking rules. The bill directly affects property owners using short-term rentals and cities seeking to regulate them, establishing state-level uniformity instead of local rules. Key provisions allow cities to enforce basic safety and zoning standards but block broader restrictions on how owners operate rentals.

Topics ✗ HousingOpposes HousingBill restricts cities from banning or limiting short-term rentals, weakening local efforts to preserve long-term housing affordability by allowing increased short-term rental competition that reduces rental supply.90% confidence

Sub-Topics Landlords Zoning

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in committee · North Carolina · House Mar 17, 2025

HB 404: Fair and Affordable Housing Act.

HB 404, the Fair and Affordable Housing Act, requires the Legislative Research Commission to study affordable housing availability across North Carolina - including rural and urban areas - and report findings to the 2026 General Assembly. The bill prohibits housing discrimination based on "source of income" (such as government housing vouchers, disability benefits, or rental assistance), making it illegal for landlords to refuse tenants using these payments. It also appropriates $45 million from the General Fund to the Housing Trust Fund for affordable housing development and bans credit reporting agencies from listing eviction lawsuits that don’t result in a landlord judgment. These changes directly affect renters (especially those using government assistance), landlords, housing providers, and credit agencies in North Carolina.

Topics ✓ Budget & TaxesSupports Budget & TaxesAppropriates $45M for housing study and anti-discrimination enforcement, directly funding state programs under Budget & Taxes subjects.95% confidence ✓ HousingSupports HousingProhibits source-of-income discrimination against voucher tenants, funds housing study with $45M, directly strengthens tenant protections and affordable housing access.95% confidence

Sub-Topics State Budget Affordable Housing Housing Finance Tenant Rights

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passed · North Carolina · House Mar 19, 2025

HB 223: Town of Mooresville/Property Conveyance.

HB 223 authorizes the Town of Mooresville to transfer its owned land to developers or nonprofits for building housing specifically for low- and moderate-income residents, veterans, and emergency responders. The bill requires that any transferred property include deed restrictions ensuring it remains housing for these groups, with the land reverting to the town if misused before the agreed period. Conveyances must be approved via a public board resolution posted online 10 days in advance. This policy change directly enables the town to expand targeted housing options without requiring payment for the land.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingAuthorizes land transfer for low/moderate-income housing with deed restrictions ensuring long-term affordability, directly advancing affordable housing goals.95% confidence ✓ VeteransSupports VeteransBill explicitly designates housing for veterans as a target beneficiary group, requiring deed restrictions to maintain veteran-focused housing through land conveyance provisions.95% confidence

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in committee · North Carolina · Senate Mar 19, 2025

SB 325: Create Dept. of Housing and Comm. Development.

SB 325 establishes North Carolina's Department of Housing and Community Development as a unified cabinet-level department, replacing fragmented housing and community development functions across state agencies. The department includes four divisions: Community Development (focusing on revitalization and broadband access), Housing (managing affordable housing, homelessness, and disaster resilience), Operations, and a Policy and Legislative Office. It directly affects low- to moderate-income residents through housing programs and community development initiatives, with $30 million in recurring funding allocated for the 2025-2026 fiscal year. The bill formalizes the department’s structure, mission, and governance, including a nine-member board appointed by the Governor and legislative leaders.

Topics ✓ HousingSupports HousingCreates unified department managing affordable housing, homelessness, and disaster resilience - directly advances housing policy through dedicated structure and focus.95% confidence ✓ TechnologySupports TechnologyBill establishes Community Development division focusing on broadband access, directly advancing internet infrastructure policy.95% confidence

Sub-Topics Affordable Housing Community Development Homelessness Broadband Access

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