The mission of the Affordable Housing and Sustainable Communities program is to provide educational resources for leaders in government, non-profit organizations and the community to help create innovative solutions to the housing and urban challenges facing North Carolina.

There is a well-documented need to tackle issues of affordable housing and sustainability in North Carolina. The state’s population growth has resulted in significant deficits in safe, durable and affordable housing, and prompted unsustainable sprawl. Workforce and migrant worker housing, place-based economic development, and the creation of affordable and sustainable communities, can all be effectively addressed by a land-grant university such as NC State, which has a unique research, service and educational mission.

This initiative focuses on strategies, models and best practices of affordable housing and the creation of economically, socially, and environmentally sustainable communities. Faculty and graduate students engage in research, community-based demonstration and service-learning projects, and provide documentation and outcomes to the public.

The program works collaboratively with:

• Non-profit housing and community development organizations.
• Municipalities and communities across the state.
• A broad range of academic units in the College of Design and University.

Funded research and service-learning projects result in tangible results and applicable solutions for our community partners, including:

• Affordable housing models and prototypes.
• Handbooks of design solutions and best practices.
• Community educational symposia, workshops and presentations.

Current and Recent Projects