Housing Is the One Thing We’re Supposed to Agree On

The national ROAD to Housing Act sets the standard for housing reform. Local elections will decide if we rise to meet it.

Every generation believes its challenges are unique, but America’s housing shortage is both timeless and urgent. It touches nearly every family, in every county and every political district. From the price of a starter home to the scarcity of affordable rentals, the cost of housing now defines our quality of life and our local politics alike.

In the Triangle, that reality feels close to home. Families who have lived here for decades watch their children priced out of the neighborhoods they grew up in. Newcomers arrive ready to work, but struggle to find a place to live. And too many of our cities have allowed the same pattern to continue: long approval processes, outdated zoning, and too little housing of every kind.

Local elections decide how our cities grow. They decide who approves the next housing project, who sets zoning rules, and who says yes or no to new neighbors. Yet we often treat every rezoning like a referendum instead of a responsibility. We argue over the details and forg…