MANTEO, N.C. — Dare County Commissioners voted Tuesday to return $35 million in state funding tied to working with developers to create affordable or workforce housing. It’s the latest turn in a years-long battle to ease a housing crunch in the county.
A crowd filled every chair and then some inside the Dare County Commissioners meeting room for the special called meeting on housing.
Before their vote, commissioners heard the stories who have struggled to find affordable housing and urged them to find a solution.
Outer Banks
Special meeting of Dare County Commissioners to address housing issues
"I literally checked the other day and it was a bedroom - not like an apartment - a bedroom for at least $1700 or $1800 a month, and that’s before utilities and everything else," said Asher Daniels, a Wanchese native who works at a local restaurant.
Others in the crowd opposed the current partnership with developer Coastal Affordable Housing, which was reportedly looking at projects in Kitty Hawk and Manteo.
Community members are concerned about the use of taxpayer money, potential conflicts of interest and a new state law keeping the county’s municipalities from having much of a say in regulating the projects from Coastal Affordable Housing.
Opposition also previously derailed proposals by the Woda Cooper Company, commissioners said.
Reluctantly, commissioners voted to send the $35 million in funding back to the state, and the county manager will check to see whether that is possible.
Watch previous coverage: Special meeting of Dare County Commissioners to address housing issues
“This is not a developer, it’s not the money,” Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard said. "The simple fact of the matter is the timing in Dare County right now is not in favor of essential workforce housing.”
Woodard did keep the county’s Housing Task Force in place. It has been meeting to come up with solutions.
“The county has budgeted $12 million that’s separate and apart from the $35 million, so hopefully we can get together and build consensus within that Task Force to come up with a project that would meet the needs of the local communities in which it’s built in,” said Malcolm Fearing, a member of the Task Force.
The next meeting for the Task Force is April 16 at 9 a.m.
