KITTY HAWK, N.C. — You can find houses being built and rentals in the Outer Banks. But the price tag is what worries locals like Christian Antonis.
"I wouldn't be able to afford to live here," said Antonis, who has lived in Kitty Hawk since 2007.
The only reason he can…
“I live with my parents," said Antonis.
Watch previous coverage: Data shows homeownership for the everyday Outer Banks worker is significantly out of reach
For Christian and fellow locals in the Outer Banks, housing availability and affordability are an issue they face every day.
“I don't know what the solution could be to fix it, but I feel like renting an apartment for a mortgage of a house isn't going to work," said Antonis.
This type of feedback is what the Dare County Housing Task Force and East Carolina University have teamed up to hear about, using a number of open houses focused on finding a way to give housing opportunities to the everyday workforce.
Watch previous coverage: Report outlines progress, steps forward to addressing housing in the Outer Banks
“You kind of have everyone that works in the hospitality and tourism industry, but also you have your essential workers, like teachers and firefighters, police force, etc. And all of them need to be able to supply the services to both residents and visitors, but they also need a place to be able to stay," said Emily Yeager, an assistant professor in the department of recreation sciences at East Carolina University.
For many working on the Outer Banks, that might mean commuting.
“We find that a lot of people in that essential workforce category tend to commute fairly far to come and provide those services here in the county. And for some people, that's not a problem, but for other people, that can make it kind of difficult to want to consider these jobs here," said Yeager.
Something that locals like Christian see as well.
Watch related coverage: The impact that housing challenges are having on the Outer Banks workforce
“We got people traveling from Elizabeth City to come down, and we have people traveling from Columbia to come work on the beach and stuff. So I feel like it's just spread so thin every which way," said Antonis.
The open houses are seeking to hear what the Outer Banks community wants the future of workforce housing to look like.
“Our goal is, again, just to be to bring positivity and optimism to solutions that could be had to solve this problem," said Yeager.
Watch related coverage: A Dare County task force is taking a look at housing challenges in the Outer Banks
A problem people like Christian hope will be solved one day. For now, worries remain.
“I don't really know if it's going to get better. I'd like to see it get better, but I just don't know how," said Antonis.
Dare County residents are encouraged to participate in this survey, so the Dare County Housing Task Force and ECU can get a better understanding of what the solutions can be for the future. The open houses feedback and survey will be compiled into a report and recommendations will then be made in the coming months.
The next open houses are Thursday, March 6 at the Coastal Studies Institute from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. and Thursday March 27 at the Rodanthe Community Center from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. and 4 p.m. to 6 p.m. at the Fessenden Center Annex in Buxton.
