√ Charlotte Water Distribution Issue
The RHA has joined forces with our local Homebuilders Association and Real Estate and Building Industry Coalition (REBIC) to help create viable solutions for developers who are facing astronomical cost increases due to the change in how private water systems are administered and permitted. Legislation language has been drafted and we advocate and support for change in the State Plumbing Code that will allow use of the c900 pipe in private water systems.
√ Source of Income
The RHA continues to advocate against local efforts to force housing providers to participate in the Housing and Urban Development’s (HUD) Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) Program, a federal voluntary program for housing providers. We are working with elected officials locally and at the federal to strongly encourage streamlining of the program to enable more owners and operators to provide more homes to individuals who qualify for vouchers.
√ Regulatory Barriers to Apartment Construction
The City of Charlotte has proposed a 2040 Comprehensive Plan and is developing a Unified Development Ordinance (UDO) that bear significant impact on the apartment industry and in some respects promote regulatory barriers to apartment construction and increase construction costs. Examples of such policies being encouraged are inclusionary zoning and imposing impact fees to developers. Solving the housing affordability problem in our community is not just the responsibility of developers. RHA supports local efforts to update zoning laws, eliminate counterproductive land use restrictions, etc. that make sense and that ease regulatory barriers that hinder the production of affordable housing. Regulation ultimately trickles down to rents and mortgages thereby hindering housing affordability. We have strongly encouraged the City Planning Department to conducts a cost/benefit analysis for each and every goal/policy/initiative in the Plan and encourage ways that promote voluntary inclusionary zoning, not mandates. View the Draft Charlotte 2040 Comp Plan here.