1 MEC Advocates Affordable Housing Development in Charlotte with County Partnership

The City Council Business Meeting held on August 25, 2025, in Charlotte, North Carolina, addressed significant community issues, particularly focusing on affordable housing and improvements to city services.

The meeting began with a presentation from a representative of the group 1 MEC, who discussed their decade-long efforts to combat school resegregation and promote economic diversity within Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS). The speaker emphasized the need for collaboration among various stakeholders, including the city, philanthropic organizations, and the county, to develop mixed-income housing. They highlighted a recent partnership with the county to utilize land near Greer Heights for affordable housing projects, rather than selling it to developers. This initiative aims to create rental and ownership units that cater to families earning 30% of the area median income (AMI).

The speaker also introduced a book titled "Affordable Housing in Charlotte: What One City's History Tells Us About America's Pressing Problem," authored by member Tom Hanchet. This book chronicles the challenges and progress in addressing housing issues in Charlotte and serves as a resource for community engagement. The group is planning an event in early 2026 at the Carolina Theater to further discuss housing solutions and invite community participation.

Following this, Jacob Krysminski presented a proposal to enhance the city’s 311 call line, aiming to make it more efficient and user-friendly. Drawing from a personal experience where he faced difficulties in determining whether his girlfriend's towed car was stolen or simply towed, Krysminski suggested improvements to streamline communication and reduce wait times for residents seeking assistance.

The meeting concluded with a commitment from council members to consider the proposals presented and to continue discussions on how to effectively address the pressing issues of affordable housing and city service enhancements. The council's next steps will involve further evaluation of the proposed initiatives and community engagement efforts.