Carrboro’s Comprehensive Plan Sets the Framework for the Town to Address Affordable Housing, Climate Action, and Racial Equity
A photo from an engagement event gaining community feedback during the development of the comprehensive plan. Source for photo: Teska Associates, Inc. | Carrboro Connects Comprehensive Plan
The Town of Carrboro’s Comprehensive Plan, a document meant to shape the next 20 years, is beginning to take effect through budgeting and local initiatives that address the plan’s priorities of affordable housing, climate change, and racial equity. The comprehensive plan, titled “Carrboro Connects, ”will guide land management, economic development, transportation, and more. It was unanimously adopted by the Town Council on June 7th, 2023.
Carrboro Connects won the Marvin Collins Award which recognizes local governments for remarkable planning initiatives. While developing the plan, the town worked to engage over 1,600 residents from all backgrounds through pop-up events, community workshops, and social media while developing the plan. It was designed by the community members for their community, displaying the epitome of former President Lincoln’s standards of a government for and by the people. They utilized a task force of community members to guide the plan’s development and gained local expert advice for locals with experience in areas such as housing, climate, transportation, and recreation. It is plausible that the plan’s meticulous development is why the implementation of it is already seeing some success with great impacts to come in the future.
The plan focuses greatly on increasing affordable housing, decreasing the local carbon footprint, and growing in a way that minimizes racial inequities through funding, investments, and government strategies. It is designed for long-term growth but Carrboro has begun implementing it through financial planning and joining local initiatives. “We are already starting to see some effects of it but there is a lot to come still. It shows up if you look at the town's budget. You will see that each department is talking about its progress toward the kinds of metrics that are in the comprehensive plan,” said the Co-Chair of the Task Force, Catherine Fray, in an interview with me.
When asked about her main takeaway from the plan, Fray said it was its affordable housing initiative. Carrboro's affordable housing plan encourages new developments while preserving and bettering existing ones. It outlines strategies and goals to achieve this that help provide housing to traditionally disadvantaged groups – championing the town's commitment to racial equity while implementing environmentally conscious initiatives.
Increasing affordable housing takes funding and extensive organization; however, its attention in the plan marks a vital first step. One of the most important ways the plan will achieve affordable housing is by providing financial incentives like an increase in density bonus for rental units that provide housing to residents whose average income is below 80% of the Average Median Income, AMI, of the community. They will also utilize the Affordable Housing Fund to increase incentives for development. This is a special revenue fund created by the town to use for increasing local affordable housing projects. Nonprofits and other individuals can get approved by the town council to use the funding for housing projects that meet their council’s housing criteria. The town’s budget for FY 2023-2024 saw a 4.5% increase in the Affordable Housing Fund from the previous year to achieve this goal. They are devoting $593,923 to the cause.
Additionally, Carrboro and other municipalities in Orange County adopted One Orange, a Racial Equity framework that analyzes how policies, practices, and procedures could impact different demographics within the community. It examines the services and needs of minorities within the community. This framework has already been utilized in conjunction with the comprehensive plan to find the best strategies for increasing affordable housing.
According to the comprehensive plan, the town will work to increase the supply of affordable housing and design energy-efficient homes that decrease the cost of living and help the local environment. For example, placing homes near public transportation not only improves affordability for tenants but also works to decrease the local carbon footprint through less driving. Other climate change strategies include increasing renewable energy such as solar panels by partnering with various nonprofits and businesses like Duke Energy and developing the green economy through investments.
According to the Carrboro Planning Director, Patricia McGuire, the town has taken a step in its climate change initiative by joining Solarize the Triangle, an already-existing plan that invests in solar energy resources and clean energy technology. Solarize the Triangle gathers local community partners to purchase these materials together to reduce the cost of buying and installing such resources. Local initiatives like this provide immense opportunities to tackle the local carbon footprint now by allowing local businesses and residents to invest in clean energy.
McGuire said in an interview with me that the plan takes commitment from everyone in the community to see results. “It involves everyone participating in some way, climate change is a great example [that] we can’t reduce the carbon footprint for the community from the top down.” The government simply passing policies will not result in change. Everyone will need to work together to achieve the goals within the comprehensive plan.
The Town of Carrboro has set its vision to be more affordable, green, and equitable, and is utilizing budgeting and local initiatives to accomplish its goals. Arguably, the plan is on course for Carrboro’s success. The plan addresses a multitude of other issues alongside its housing, climate, and racial equity goals like parks and recreation, transportation, and more. Carrboro has mapped the direction it wishes to progress in, and with adequate funding, investment, and adoption of policies the town will see significant improvements in the future.
The municipal elections that are approaching in November and in the future will have huge effects on the success of this plan. The plan is a beautifully illustrated outline with suggestions for the town but it is not fiscally binding. It is imperative to elect candidates who support the mission of the plan and will be diligent in adopting policies and appropriating funding so that Carrboro Connects can someday achieve the full scope of its aspirations.