The Dare County Housing Task Force held three meetings in April 2024. At its meeting held on April 16, 2024, Dare County Manager/Attorney Bobby Outten briefed the group on actions that have been taken by the Dare County Board of Commissioners to address the ongoing housing issues in the county, including the board’s recent decision to end its partnership with Coastal Affordable Housing LLC and return the $35 million in state funding allocated to Dare County in 2021 for the purpose of working with a qualified private partner to construct affordable housing units back to the state due to the inability of developers to make progress on such developments thus far.  

The Housing Task Force then voted to send a letter to N.C. Representative Keith Kidwell, N.C. Representative Ed Goodwin, N.C. Senator Bobby Hanig and N.C. Senator Norm Sanderson to request their support and assistance with repealing sections of H.B. 259 approved in 2023 that pre-exempted local Dare County and municipal zoning regulations for any projects utilizing the $35 million in state funding. Representative Goodwin, Senator Hanig and Senator Sanderson virtually attended the Housing Task Force’s meetings held on April 22, 2024 and April 30, 2024 to listen to the group’s discussions.  

Following the virtual calls with state officials, the task force voted unanimously during their meeting on April 30, 2024 to ask the Dare County Board of Commissioners to put on hold any actions to return the $35 million allocated to Dare County while the task force works to develop a plan that is acceptable to Dare County and its six municipalities, as well as the state legislature and the Housing Task Force. The Dare County Board of Commissioners will discuss this request at their meeting scheduled for 9 a.m. on Tuesday, May 7, 2024. 

At recent meetings of the Housing Task Force, Dare County Board of Commissioners Chairman Bob Woodard noted that there has been success in Dare County with community-led groups working collaboratively to address other critical issues. He cited the accomplishments of the Oregon Inlet Task Force, the N.C. Highway 12 Task Force and the Saving Lives Task Force and indicated that the Housing Task Force should follow these models. 

Housing Task Force members agreed and voted unanimously during the April 30, 2024 meeting to elect Outer Banks Association of REALTORS Government Affairs Director Donna Creef as chairman of the task force and to elect Roanoke Island representative Malcolm Fearing as vice chairman.

In other actions taken on April 30, 2024, the Housing Task Force set up subcommittees: one that will begin work to develop a plan for presentation to the full task force and the community and a second subcommittee to research nonprofit organizations that have been used in other tourism-driven areas to address housing issues in their communities. 

These subcommittees are scheduled to meet before the next Housing Task Force meeting, which will be held on May 14, 2024, at the Dare County Administration Building (Room 238), which is located at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo. Also during the Housing Task Force’s April 30, 2024 meeting, it was acknowledged that other subcommittees may be needed as the Housing Task Force moves forward in its efforts to find solutions to the housing issues in Dare County. 

“We are grateful to the state of North Carolina for their recognition of the housing issues in Dare County and for funding previously allocated in 2021,” said Housing Task Force Chairman Donna Creef. “Based on the discussions at the recent meetings, I believe the task force members are earnest in their desires to identify potential options that work for all of Dare County.”

During a special housing meeting that was held at 9 a.m. on Tuesday, April 9, 2024, the Dare County Board of Commissioners voted unanimously to halt the county’s years-long efforts to develop housing units for members of the area’s essential workforce by ending its partnership with Coastal Affordable Housing LLC and returning the $35 million in state funding allocated to Dare County for the purpose of partnering with a qualified private partner to construct affordable housing units back to the state. 

The public meeting—which was livestreamed on Dare County’s YouTube channel as well as www.CurrentTV.org—included a lengthy public comment period during which more than two dozen citizens shared their thoughts and expressed their concerns regarding the ongoing housing issues impacting Dare County’s residents, business owners and local workforce.

Following the conclusion of the public comment period, Dare County Manager/Attorney Bobby Outten provided an in-depth overview of the extensive efforts the county has made over the past several years in its attempts to help resolve the housing challenges the community has faced for decades and addressed some of the common misconceptions held by many within the community.

To view a video of the special housing meeting on Dare County’s YouTube channel, please click here.

(Photo: The Dare County Housing Task Force's inaugural meeting, held at the Dare County Administration Building in Manteo on January 18, 2024.) 

In a significant step toward addressing the pressing housing issues in Dare County, the Housing Task Force held its inaugural meeting on Thursday, January 18, 2024 at the Dare County Administration Building in Manteo. Chaired by Bob Woodard, chairman of the Dare County Board of Commissioners, the task force includes representatives from local government, associations and industries, as well as local residents from throughout the county.

The meeting commenced with Chairman Woodard expressing gratitude to the task force members for their participation and conveying optimism about finding common ground to address the housing challenges. Dare County Manager Bobby Outten provided a comprehensive overview of the county's efforts to tackle housing issues over the past 30 years.

To foster consensus, each task force member affirmed their acknowledgment of the existing housing problem and pledged to collaborate on finding viable solutions. Members will support efforts proposed by the task force to address the housing crisis in Dare County.

During the meeting held on January 18, 2024, each member had an opportunity to share their thoughts and ideas on potential pathways forward.

Looking ahead, the task force identified several items for future discussion, including ideas for defining target markets, leveraging current state funding, understanding housing authorities, maximizing the use of funding and land, involving all local governments, addressing restrictions on housing projects, engaging the private sector, and developing effective communications regarding the issue.

The meeting concluded with members of the audience being given the opportunity to share their views and perspectives on the housing situation. The task force announced its commitment to continuing monthly meetings on the third Tuesday of each month at 9 a.m. at the Dare County Administration Building (Room 168), located at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo.

The Dare County Housing Task Force’s collaborative efforts signify a dedicated approach to finding holistic solutions to the housing challenges faced by the community. With a diverse group of stakeholders actively engaged, the task force aims to make a positive impact on the housing landscape in Dare County.

The cost of housing in Dare County has risen to unprecedented levels, resulting in a critical need to develop housing options that can be afforded by members of the community’s essential workforce.

Dare County officials have worked diligently to address the lack of essential and housing workforce housing, and in 2022 the county formed public-private partnerships with two developers—Woda Cooper Companies and Coastal Affordable Housing—to construct such housing units in various locations throughout the county.

Funding for the development of these essential and workforce housing projects was provided by two sources: Dare County—which agreed to contribute a maximum of $12 million toward a project that would be developed by Woda Cooper—as well as $35 million in non-recurring state funds allocated to Dare County for the development of essential housing, which the county intends to use to develop a project in partnership with Coastal Affordable Housing.

Despite extensive efforts by Dare County and both developers to construct workforce housing in multiple locations within Dare County over the past two years, none of these efforts were successful due, in part, to resistance from members of the community and a lack of cooperation and consensus among local governments.

As a result, Woda Cooper recently made the decision to end its partnership with Dare County in order to pursue development opportunities in other communities. Although the county currently maintains its partnership with Coastal Affordable Housing, the developer has yet to experience success in its efforts to construct essential and workforce housing units.

To address the ongoing issues and opposition to housing developments—and to create an atmosphere of collaboration among local governments—Dare County formed a task force in October 2023 that is dedicated to finding solutions to the housing issues that exist throughout the county.

The Dare County Housing Task Force will consist of approximately 25 stakeholders, including various Dare County officials and representatives from each of Dare County six municipalities, among other members. The first meeting of the Housing Task Force took place at 9 a.m. on Thursday, January 18, 2024 in Room 168 of the Dare County Administration Building, which is located at 954 Marshall C. Collins Drive in Manteo.

At the January 2, 2024 Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting, the board passed a resolution affirming its intention to solve the workforce housing problem by working with local governments, citizens and stakeholders through the task force. The resolution also confirmed Dare County’s intention “not to use HB 259 to exempt any workforce housing solutions from the local government zoning authority as part of any proposed solutions.”

This formally sets aside the state legislation (HB 259) that would have permitted any projects using the $35 million in state funding that has been allocated to Dare County for the development of workforce housing to be exempt from local zoning regulations.

To view a PDF of the resolution, please click here. 

Coastal Affordable Housing, LLC

(Project Locations to be Determined)

The Dare County Board of Commissioners partnered with North Carolina-based consortium Coastal Affordable Housing LLC in 2022 to develop essential and workforce housing projects in Dare County using the $35 million in nonrecurring state funds that was allocated to Dare County specifically for the purpose of making a grant to a qualified private partner to construct affordable housing units. 

The decision to select Coastal Affordable Housing—which marked the latest move in the county’s extensive efforts to find a viable solution to the challenges surrounding year-round housing within Dare County—was reached at the Dare County Board of Commissioners meeting that was held at 5 p.m. on Tuesday, February 22, 2022.

Incorporated in November 2021, Coastal Affordable Housing is a North Carolina-based consortium composed of architect Robert Ferris, contractor Aaron Thomas and general contractor Metcom, all of whom would serve as principals in the housing projects. The team also included several additional corporate participants, including Fred Mills Jr.—who serves as the president and CEO of United Property Management in Raleigh and has spearheaded the construction of an array of multifamily units in developments.

Having touted its organization as consisting of a team of “problem solvers,” Coastal Affordable Housing has indicated to the Dare County Board of Commissioners that it intends to construct up to 400 housing units within Dare County by the end of 2023. Dare County is continuing to work with Coastal Affordable Housing to determine locations suitable for the construction of essential housing projects, and more information will be provided as it becomes available.