A study by UNC Greensboro, commissioned by the City of Wilmington and New Hanover County.
The findings of a recent housing study are surprising to few: the city of Wilmington and New Hanover County are verging on a housing affordability crisis. But advocates say the report may act as a catalyst for new housing policies in the region.
The study set the stakes quite high: more than half of New Hanover’s renters are cost-burdened, meaning they spend more than 30% of their income on housing, and little housing is available that’s affordable for low-wage earners.
Katrina Knight, Executive Director of Good Shepherd Center, has been talking about a crisis in affordable housing since she came to Wilmington in 2004. She advocated for the study as a member of the ad hoc committee on housing several years ago.