Housing has become one of the most significant challenges facing communities across North Carolina. As employers expand their operations and the state’s population continues to grow, many rural communities are struggling to provide housing for teachers, healthcare workers, first responders, manufacturing employees, and other essential workers.
The latest episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversations features a discussion on how partnerships between local governments, nonprofits, financial institutions, philanthropy, and community leaders are creating workforce housing solutions tailored to local needs.
In this episode:
- Scott Farmer, Executive Director of the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, explains why housing has become a critical economic development issue and discusses how communities can identify local housing needs, build partnerships, and develop solutions that reflect their unique circumstances.
- Matthew Whittle, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of Goldsboro-Wayne, shares how the McNair Heights development in Goldsboro demonstrates the power of collaboration to create mixed-income neighborhoods that support workforce housing, strengthen local economies, and help families build long-term financial stability through homeownership.
- Jama Campbell, Executive Director of the State Employee Credit Union (SECU) Foundation, discusses the role philanthropy plays in supporting innovative housing models, from teacher housing and home repairs to workforce housing developments, while emphasizing the importance of local leadership and community-driven solutions.
Listeners will gain a deeper understanding of why housing is increasingly recognized as an economic development priority, how successful workforce housing projects depend on collaboration across sectors, and why there is no one-size-fits-all approach to addressing housing challenges in North Carolina’s communities. Listen now to this episode of Golden LEAF Critical Conversations on Spotify and Apple Podcasts.