From https://thehill.com/event/476923-building-the-dream-charlotte
Rising home prices, lending restrictions, stagnant wages, and a growing burden of debt have made homeownership financially unattainable for many prospective buyers. Cities across the country — including ones as vibrant as Charlotte, N.C. — continue to struggle with how to open the doors to homeownership to more of their residents while ensuring sound fiscal policies and practices.
Home to a number of major financial institutions, a bustling culinary scene and a unique cultural feel, the Queen City appears poised for further economic growth and opportunity for its nearly 2.5 million residents. Despite a number of positive gains for the city, stagnant wage growth, lack of public transit options and the historical isolation of working-class neighborhoods are just a few of the hurdles to homeownership for so many city residents, particularly minority populations.
In the second installment of our “Building the Dream” series, The Hill hit the road to convene state and local officials and regional housing experts for a morning of conversations to lay out a path forward to homeownership for more Charlotte residents.
Event photos
Charlotte is making its first community wide effort to tackle a severe shortage in affordable housing. The short-term goal still leaves the city far behind the need. Read the full Charlotte Business Journal Article.
I am extremely humbled yet honored to be featured as a UNC Charlotte featured alum. I sat down with my alma mater to discuss how affordable house impacts our communities.
As a little girl, Pam Wideman ’06 MPA spent hours assembling jigsaw puzzles. She loved watching the full picture emerge from all the little pieces. Now, as director of Housing and Neighborhood Services for the city of Charlotte, Wideman is tackling her most challenging puzzle yet: Charlotte’s affordable housing crisis.
As a little girl, Pam Wideman ’06 MPA spent hours assembling jigsaw puzzles. She loved watching the full picture emerge from all the little pieces. Now, as director of Housing and Neighborhood Services for the city of Charlotte, Wideman is tackling her most challenging puzzle yet: Charlotte’s affordable housing crisis.
“I like solving problems, and I look at affordable housing as a puzzle,” Wideman said. “Neighborhoods are the building blocks of any city, and it’s my job to create thriving, mixed-income communities where people of all ages, races, economic backgrounds can live and access opportunity.”
In 2014, a national study ranked Charlotte last among the 50 largest U.S. cities in economic mobility, citing family instability and affordable housing as central factors.
While the study shined a spotlight on the city’s affordable housing issue and others, Wideman recognized an opportunity to leverage public awareness to make a difference.
Charlotte resident, Linda Mendez, Charlotte-Mecklenburg Housing Partnership President Julie Porter and City of Charlotte Housing and Neighborhood Services Director Pam Wideman were featured on the City of Charlotte‘s Around the Crown Podcast to discuss the current need in Charlotte for affordable housing, where we are in meeting our target goals and who are the real people in need.
Listen below
Pamela Wideman 