Building Smarter: Why North Carolina Should Consider Single-Stair Housing

A new approach to housing design could help North Carolina grow smarter, not just bigger

Red Rocks Rising, a single-stair design from Santec that won third place in the Denver Single-Stair Housing Challenge. (Source: DSSHC)

A Housing Problem That Hits Close to Home

Across North Carolina, from Raleigh and Charlotte to Asheville and Wilmington, people are feeling the squeeze. Housing costs are climbing, traffic congestion is worsening, and more green spaces are taken over by suburban sprawl every year. The state’s population is booming, and our housing supply isn’t keeping up. According to Michael Cline, a demographer writing for the NC Office of State Budget and Management, North Carolina is set to become the 7th most populated state by the year 2030. In order for people of all demographics to be able to afford quality, family-oriented housing, we need to rethink how a growing American city can be structured.

Here in the beloved City of Oaks, we have beautiful greenery throughout our communities, and new retail coming to our downtown areas. Unfortunately, in order to get to t…