WCPSS and County Commissioners hear affordable housing proposal for teachers and employees

WAKE COUNTY, N.C. (WNCN) — Leaders in Wake County are looking into affordable housing opportunities for their employees.

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Specifically for teachers moving to schools in growing areas of Wake County that are continuing to see a growing cost of living as well.

Leaders said the cost is causing a divide in the school district when it comes to where teachers can afford to live.

“This is an opportunity to really shape, reshape the narrative of affordable housing,” Wake County School Board Chair Tyler Swanson said.

Wednesday, Wake County commissioners and Wake County School Board members sat down to hear a proposal on how they could make affordable housing a reality.

What is on the table is a land swap between Wake County and the school district. Meaning the county is looking to take on unused land owned by Wake County Public Schools.

Five schools are currently being looked at. Including Carpenter Elementary, Morrisville Elementary, Hilburn Drive Academy, Heritage High School, and Salem Middle School.

“It would be transferred into Wake County’s ownership, and then we would pursue affordable housing developments on those sites,” Deputy Director of housing affordability, Mark Perlman, said.

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Options for affordable homes could include townhomes, patio homes, detached single-family, and multifamily homes.

“In a time when it is more expensive than it has been to live in Wake County, the need is greater than it has ever been,” Perlman said.

However, the county does not have legal authority to designate affordable housing exclusively for teachers.

If the proposal were to move forward, the affordable housing would be marketed to the entire community.

“It is making sure that folks who work in Wake County and are civil servants in Wake County can live, work, and play in the county that they reside in, so I am excited to get this moving forward,” Swanson said.

Perlman said he hopes to get approval from the board of commissioners and the school board on this proposal in the fall.

After the land swap is approved, they will be able to gather more information on how many affordable homes each site can hold.

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