In a recent New York Times story on Spokane, WA with the headline “The Next Affordable City Is Already Too Expensive,” Spokane’s director of community and economic development says what we believe is true for us: “I’m realizing more and more how important the future prosperity of this city is about getting housing right.”

LAF Presents a Special Two-Part Series on Housing in WNC

The scope will be comprehensive, covering housing cost, supply, mix (rental vs. owned, single-family vs. dense), zoning for housing, the challenges developers face, redlining and its continuing impact, and affordable housing.

Our goal in this two-part series is to inform ourselves on the interconnected issues of housing; to listen, learn and distill our collective knowledge; to identify bold actions to address our challenges; and to become individually and collectively engaged on “getting housing right.”

Our speakers on March 23rd will be Derek Allen, an attorney with Allen Stahl + Kilbourne; Geoffrey Barton, of Mountain Housing Opportunities;  Sarah Grymes, VP Impact/Housing for Dogwood Health Trust and Andrea Golden, Co-Director of PODER Emma.

After registering, you’ll receive a link to the biographies of our Part I and Part II speakers and facilitators, and a curated list of recommended reading on the complex issues of housing. We warmly encourage you to read or watch the items selected in advance of the Forum so you arrive informed and ready to engage.

Returning to our previous history of evening forums, “Housing in WNC: Part II” will be held on Wednesday, April 6th starting at 5:30 pm at the UNCA Reuter Center. A separate invitation will follow.

Part II will feature another panel of speakers as well as facilitated break-out groups. You will be an active participant in these groups, engaging directly with our experts. Look for details on Part II in the next few weeks.