In early February, a group of our CTAR leadership visited Raleigh, N.C. and Norfolk, V.A. to learn from communities experiencing similar issues to our market. Both metros are tackling issues like affordability, infrastructure, resiliency, transportation and more. In order for CTAR to be responsive to the challenges ahead of us, we took a team to learn from communities who have already experienced these issues.
While in Raleigh, we met with the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors® to hear from their leadership on affordable housing and bus-rapid transit (BRT). Like Charleston, Raleigh is working on a bus-rapid transit system to connect the region. What started as a 17-mile BRT has grown to an 83-mile network in the Raleigh area. The anticipated line has also led to the creation of affordable housing. Several new investments along the BRT are bringing mixed-use and mixed-income developments to Raleigh.
Raleigh has taken a proactive approach to affordable housing beyond their BRT developments. After passing a bond referendum in 2020, Raleigh has been able to create and fund programs to promote more affordable housing. Down payment assistance, gap financing and land banking are several of the tools being used in Raleigh to address the affordability issues in the region.
The Hampton Roads region of Virginia is similar to the Charleston region is many ways. The Port of Norfolk has the deepest port on the eastern seaboard at 55 feet, the Port of Charleston is 50 feet. We both have beach communities wrestling with the issue of short-term rentals. We are military towns; Norfolk has the largest military base in the world with roughly 83,000 service men and women. Charleston and Norfolk are also both at various stages of their Army Corps of Engineers perimeter protection projects.
Norfolk began their perimeter protection with a Housing and Urban Development (HUD) grant in 2017 to serve the Ohio Creek area of the city. Through a blend of strategies like new and improved infrastructure, using pervious pavers, bioswales, living shorelines and pump stations; Norfolk has addressed flooding along the Ohio Creek. They have also successfully reconnected parts of the city that were previously separated. This work has been expanded to incorporate the entire city of Norfolk to improve accessibility and livability.
Livability and quality of life were the main themes of our discussions. The Hampton Roads Realtors® Association led several great group conversations on these external issues but we were also able to share about topics facing our associations. Member engagement, commitment to advocacy, education and continuing education, and the inherent obligation to support our industry were all discussed.
The opportunity to learn from the Raleigh Regional Association of Realtors® and the Hampton Roads Realtors® Association will be instrumental in our association’s ability to transition and prosper. Raleigh and Hampton Roads are both areas seeing tremendous growth and investment. The ability to idea share, with communities who have experienced these issues, will serve CTAR as our region continues to grow.
To learn more about the Norfolk perimeter protection project, visit resilientnorfolk.com.
