The local daily had some coverage of the affordable housing forum it hosted. Pastor Michael Woods observed the city is gentrified, something any libertarian think tank would forecast as a consequence of excessive zoning. Hotelier John McKibbon referred to himself as Dr. Evil for creating low-wage jobs, but said a low-wage job was better than a no-wage one. The folks talked about who should get the hotel tax, and former Mayor Terry Bellamy said the city “should have a right” to use the money as it pleases. She also observed that people say they’re for building more affordable housing, but only the NIMBY’s show up to public meetings when projects are up for consideration.
Ideas panelists supported included increasing the city’s affordable housing trust fund, forging public-private partnerships, increasing density along transportation corridors, recruiting businesses that pay higher wages (corporate welfare), and helping NIMBY’s be more tolerant. Professor Mai Thi Nguyen suggested following Durham’s example of increasing taxes 1 cent to pay for affordable housing projects.
