By Aisha N. Frazier
Trevohn Robinson is frustrated by the constant rising cost of rent in Chapel Hill. Robinson, who has lived in his apartment for less than three years, said his rent has increased with each lease renewal.
“It’s an issue. My rent just goes up and up,” Robinson said. “And it’s not like my money goes up, too.”
Robinson is a Ph.D. student in chemistry at UNC-Chapel Hill’s College of Arts and Sciences. He receives a stipend through his program and notes that “Ph.D. students at other schools like Duke and N.C. State make around $40,000,” less than UNC-CH.
Robinson’s experience underscores a larger issue for residents in Orange County.
Affordable housing is a vital issue for voters in the upcoming election, according to some Orange County residents who say the high cost of living pushes them to consider living elsewhere.
At the county level, those issues can be addressed by evaluating costs, petitioning for funds, considering planning and zoning limitations (such as water and sewer access), and factoring in residents’ needs and backgrounds, said Amy Fowler, a commissioner on the Orange County Board of County Commissioners.
Robinson among other voters in the area said he knew little about local elections, such as the BOCC, or their potential impact on housing. He said he plans to research the candidates in order to vote confidently this fall.
In November, Robinson and other Orange County voters have only one BOCC seat to consider as three candidates are running unopposed.
Fowler will retain her At-Large seat, while Jean Hamilton will serve another term for District 1, and newcomer Marilyn Carter will fill the other open District 1 seat.
Phyllis Portie-Ascott and H. Nathan Robinson are both running for the open District 2 seat on the board. The winner will serve a four-year term.
“Affordable housing is a critical issue,” Portie-Ascott said in an interview. “I mean, not just here in Orange County, it’s a critical issue statewide, nationwide.”
She has a background in real estate and is passionate about addressing the state of housing in the county. She is running on a plan that addresses the different factors that may impact a community member’s ability to find and maintain a place to live.
Portie-Ascott wants to engage with non-profit and for-profit developers to discuss what resources they would need to build more affordable housing.
The county has a Housing Choice Voucher program through the federal government. It assists low-income families, seniors and disabled people in their quest to afford safe and secure housing.
“We want to make sure that we expand our landlord incentive program to incentivize those landlords and support renters who may need additional assistance to make their rent affordable,” she said.
Portie-Ascott is proposing to expand the county’s current down payment assistance program, which is targeted through Habitat for Humanity. She would like to include other state and federal funds to better support the down payment assistance. She is particularly interested in using the program to help county employees buy homes locally.
“I don’t know how you have a vibrant community without having affordable housing,” Portie-Ascott said. “I don’t know how we have or maintain a diverse community without having affordable housing.”
Portie-Ascott, appointed to her current seat this year, said she has already shown a commitment to affordable housing.
She highlighted a budget amendment she proposed to increase funds being used to support those facing eviction from $55,000 to $580,000. With the support of her colleagues, the amendment was passed.
“We’re able to help many more people,” she said. “Folks are struggling, right? Sometimes life happens, and you need that extra help.”
Candidate H. Nathan Robinson has not responded to multiple emails or calls seeking an interview about his platform at this time.
According to his website, he supports advocating for the representation of northern rural county perspectives, supporting private-public partnerships to advance community needs, and decreasing taxes to promote economic development.
His platform doesn’t mention affordable housing.
Aisha N. Frazier is a graduate student at UNC, and submitted this story to 97.9 The Hill and Chapelboro.com. If you’d like to submit a story or reach our news department directly, click here.
Comments on Chapelboro are moderated according to our Community Guidelines