Dare County housing task force issues 2024 report calling for teacher housing, outreach and land-use changes

The Dare County Housing Task Force told the Board of Education on Jan. 13 that housing in the county is plentiful but increasingly unaffordable for year‑round residents and public employees.

Task force member Donna Creef summarized the group's findings and recommendations after the task force adopted a 2024 report by unanimous vote. "We've narrowed it down to 4 main components: available, attainable, sustainable, and acceptable," Creef said, explaining the group’s framework for analyzing inventory, price, resilience and community fit.

The nut graf: the report finds a wide gap between local incomes and median sales prices and urges a mix of near‑term and policy actions. The task force highlighted a median home sale price of $622,000 in October 2024 (Outer Banks Association of Realtors data) versus a median household income of about $80,000 (American Community Survey, 2022). Using a sample analysis the task force presented, Creef said qualifying income requirements for typical year‑round neighborhoods could be far higher than local medians — for example, one example shown required a household income near $171,000 to qualify for a median‑priced home in a year‑round neighborhood.

The report urged several responses: expand the county’s existing teacher and local government housing efforts (legislation enacted in 2004 that allows the Board of Education to build teacher housing), permit smaller scale housing types such as accessory dwelling units (ADUs) and small multifamily up to four units where community standards allow, and use deed restrictions to preserve long‑term occupancy rather than vacation rental tenure.

Task force member Malcolm Fearing stressed the local consequences for employees. "A $50,000 income first year teacher brings in about $3,300 a month. But what do they have to pay? If they're renting something, maybe $2,000," he said, noting rent examples from rental managers in Manteo.

Creef and Fearing also described outreach and technical assistance the task force has secured: East Carolina University will study community attitudes about workforce housing and hold public meetings in spring 2025; the task force was accepted into the UNC School of Government's "Our State, Our Home" 18‑month initiative to receive training and project support; and the task force will continue presentations to local governments and the chamber.

Board Vice Chair Payne, a task force member, thanked the presenters and emphasized the local need for housing so that young people and educators can return and remain in Dare County.

The task force report and presentation included data breakdowns by village (Duck, Kill Devil Hills, Manteo, Roanoke Island, Buxton) showing that many housing units are held as vacation rentals rather than occupied year‑round. The presenters emphasized that legal authority for some actions rests with the North Carolina General Assembly and cited the 2004 enabling legislation as an example that allowed school‑sponsored teacher housing projects in Kill Devil Hills and Buxton.

The task force solicited Board partnership on possible future sites and noted that building on government‑owned land reduces land cost barriers. Creef said the group will return with more outreach results and next steps after the UNC School of Government program begins.

Ending: Board members praised the report and the task force’s outreach plan; the presenters asked the Board to continue engaging with the task force as it moves into the UNC program and the spring outreach schedule.