Vote yes on housing and neighborhood improvement bonds

ADOBE STOCK

Charlotte's affordable housing bond referendum addresses a growing gap in affordability that threatens to leave more residents behind.

The city of Charlotte has three bond proposals totaling $405 million on the municipal ballot to address transportation, affordable housing and neighborhood improvements.

All have a place in addressing needs in a growing community, but we encourage voters to support just the affordable housing and neighborhood improvement measures.

City officials insist the bonds are built into the budget and won’t increase property tax rates. That’s fine, but we believe the people asked to foot the bill should have some fiscal relief, at least for on the transportation initiative. If approved by voters, the city would be authorized to repay investors who buy city bonds. Because the city would repay using public money, voters must approve the authority to borrow.

Affordable housing bonds

Charlotte is bursting at the seams, and the result is increased housing demands. As gentrification continues unabated in lower income neighborhoods and market prices rise, pressure is increasing to locate answers. Charlotte is falling farther behind in building units for low- and moderate-income residents, and as a result, more is required to close the gap.

The $125 million housing bonds is a necessary tool to improve affordable housing in the city, which is necessary to maintain Charlotte’s overall economic health and improve access to opportunities for people who struggle to gain a step up the economic ladder.

Charlotte isn’t going to suddenly become affordable but is taking steps to help people better access housing through city initiatives, which we applaud. If there’s more help for people looking to keep pace with rent or close the gap to home ownership, we’re for it. 

Vote yes.

Neighborhood improvement bonds

The $20 million package to improve neighborhood streets, sidewalks, drainage, public spaces, and other infrastructure is small potatoes compared to the other referendums and on scale alone, is a relatively small bill. Sidewalk construction will certainly help pedestrians better navigate the city and making streets safer is a good idea. 

Vote yes. 

Transportation bonds

The $280 million transportation referendum for construction of streets, sidewalks and bicycle paths, in our estimation, isn’t as pressing an issue. Transportation has dominated much of the public discourse over the last couple of years between the 1% sales tax approved by Mecklenburg County voters last year and the I-77 South toll project saga that set neighborhoods against city and state government. 

Between those projects and the cost involved as they continue to unfold, we’re inclined to demand a pause on footing the bill on another initiative in short order. Our stance isn’t that better streets and sidewalks aren’t necessary – they certainly are – but local government shouldn’t expect us to sign off on another project given the economic uncertainty facing residents and municipalities.  
Vote no.

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