Forsyth County staff recommend joint resolution with Winston‑Salem to boost housing supply

Deputy County Manager Kyle Haney told commissioners on Dec. 1 that county and city staff have prepared a joint resolution committing both governments to “housing availability, housing choice, and elimination of barriers to housing.” The measure, scheduled for the board’s Dec. 4 meeting, summarizes prior Unified Development Ordinance text amendments and directs staff to continue reviewing planning and zoning provisions that affect housing capacity.

Haney said a 2024 study commissioned by the North Carolina Realtors Association projected a need for 25,350 housing units in the region by 2030 and that the proposed statement sets a longer‑term goal of permitting an additional roughly 25,000 units through 2045. He said the city will consider the same resolution and already passed it unanimously in committee the previous night.

Commissioners were offered a track‑changed version of the county’s rules of procedure and an explanation of how the resolution ties to the county’s comprehensive plan and the board’s strategic goals. Haney said changes to regulatory text recently adopted by the county and city include adjustments to plat requirements, buffer yards, multifamily permissions and minimum lot sizes—items listed in the resolution as examples of actions already taken to reduce barriers to housing.

No formal action was taken at the briefing; the resolution will appear on the Dec. 4 consent/regular agenda for possible adoption.

The county and city will need to implement and track any text amendments or new zoning decisions through their standard planning and public hearing processes, and commissioners asked staff to be prepared to discuss specifics and next steps at the upcoming meeting.