1. Perceptions of Affordable Housing in Brunswick County, North Carolina
Olivia Dorsey
MPA, 2016
Dr. Imperial

2. Table of Contents
Acknowledgements
Executive Summary………………………………………………………………………1-2
Introduction……………………………………………………………………………….3-10
Why is affordable housing important?.................................3-4
Brunswick County Facts…………………………………………………….4--7
Purpose of this study……………………………………………………………..10-11
The Importance of Housing…………………………………………………………….9
Literature Review……………………………………………………………….……..12-18
Wage Stagnation and Income Inequality…………………………….11-12
NIMBY-Not In My Backyard…………………………………………………13
Economic of Affordable Housing…………………………………………14-15
Methodology & Research Design.……………………………………………..15-23
Methods…………………………………………………………………………….16-18
Dissemination Process………..………………………………………………….18
Gap Analysis…………………….……………………………………………….19-20
Limitations of Study…………………………………………………………….20-21
Survey Results…………….…………………………………………………………….21-29
Conclusions…………………………………………………………………………28-29
Recommendations……………………………………………………………...29-31

3. List of Figures
Figure 1: Housing Facts/Wages for housing in North Carolina and Brunswick County…………………….2
Figure 2: Brunswick County Demographics…………………………………………………………………………………....5
Figure 3: Largest Employers in Brunswick County…………………………………………………………………………..6
Figure 4: Percentage of cost burdened individuals from 2000-2010……………………………………………….9
Figure 5: Gap in housing income needed to rent an apartment in 2016……..…………………………………11
Figure 6: Gap Analysis……………………………………………………………..…………...………………………………………19
Figure 7: Affordable Housing Gap Analysis Model…………………..…………………………………………………….20
Figure 8: Demographic Characteristics………………………………..………………………………………………………..22
Figure 9: Number of years residing in Brunswick County……………………………………………………………….23
Figure 10: Summary of current housing status…………………………………………………………………………………23
Figure 11: Cost for rent or mortgage………………………………………………..…………………………………………….24
Figure 12: Need for affordable housing in Brunswick County…………..………………………………………………25
Figure 13: What should Brunswick County do to build more affordable housing…………..…………………25
Figure 14: Which of the following options would you support within Brunswick County?..................26
Figure 15: Perception of Impact of Affordable Housing in One’s Neighborhood…….………………………..27
Figure 16: Perception of housing related issues in Brunswick County……………………….……………………..28

4. Acknowledgements
I would like to first thank the MPA staff for giving me support and believing I could do it. A
special thanks to Tom Barth who was always there to lend a helping hand and was full of good
humor. He will be missed!
A big thanks to Brunswick Family Assistance especially Stephanie Bowen for making sure that
the survey was distributed to all areas of the county and to the volunteers at BFA who understand
the importance of affordable housing. I would also like to thank all the municipalities for putting
the survey up on their respective websites and making it available to the public.
Thank you to Ann Hardy County Manager for giving a green light to study this topic and lend
the County’s support. Also, to Cathy Lytch who met with me and helped to distribute surveys to
clients coming into DSS.
This survey would have never happened if it was not for Dr. Kristen DuVall and Dr. Christy
Lanier who wrote the Community Engagement Grant and were interested in assisting in the
research on perceptions of affordable housing in Brunswick County.
Lastly, I would like to thank my friends and family for supporting me through this very long
journey. I could not have done it without you all.

5. Appendix
A) Brunswick County Housing Affordability Survey
B) Star New announces Brunswick County affordable housing survey
C) Brunswick Beacon advertisement about the community survey
D) Brunswick Family Assistance begins housing survey (Beacon)
E) Star News article on shortage of rentals in Brunswick County
F) Brunswick Family Assistance press release to newspapers and municipalities
G) Methods section- all individuals, government officials, non-profits and church groups
who received the survey and helped disseminate it
H) Copy of the Community Engagement Grant from UNCW

6. Executive Summary
Brunswick County’s is the fastest growing county in the state. The current population is
118,836 and it has become a destination for tourists, retirees and second homeowners. It is a
desirable place to live, work, raise a family and enjoy a wonderful quality of life. With growth
in the tourism industry (e.g. retail, food services, hospitality) and the rise in the number of in-
migrants pushing up demand for housing these intersecting trends create an affordable housing
challenge for Brunswick County.
To address this problem a grant from The Office of Community Engagement was received
with the help of Dr. Kristen DuVall and Dr. Christy Lanier to study the perceptions of affordable
housing in Brunswick County, North Carolina. The Community Survey’s objective was to find
out if residents thought there was a need for affordable housing and if so what supported
solutions might be. The thesis was to measure the gap between actual data gleaned from the
census and public perceptions on the topic through the survey. An on-line survey was
disseminated through all the municipal websites as well as in the local newspapers. A paper
survey was also distributed and available at Brunswick Family Assistance, various church groups
and at the Department of Social Services in Bolivia. A total of 781 survey were used that were
completed. Many were returned but not fully filled out so could not be counted.
The community survey on perceptions of affordable housing found that the overwhelming
majority of respondents 80.5% said that there was a need for affordable housing. People
supported solutions to build more affordable housing and the number one response was that the
county should work with private developers to develop more affordable housing. Some of the
other supported solutions were that non-profits should develop affordable housing and that new
developments should have a certain percentage dedicated to affordable housing.
Housing affordability is a public policy challenge that is not unique to Brunswick County and
is a challenging problem across that nation. The difference is that each region faces its own
specific challenges. Almost half of the population of Brunswick County is over the age of 55.
Many retirees who come to live in Brunswick County, have higher than average net worth and
are coming from other parts of the country where incomes are higher and people have stable
retirement incomes. They come for the beautiful beaches and the low taxes often buying luxury
homes with money left over to spend. While this helps the economy by bringing more service
jobs as well as construction jobs it drives up home prices (e.g. average home price $206,300 for
2016) and raises the area median income (e.g. $58,300 for 2016) leaving lower to middle income
workers struggling to find affordable housing.
High housing costs leave lower income families with little left over for other important
expenses, leading to difficult budget trade-offs. Providing affordable housing can have a
profound impact on the economy and is linked to economic development. If employers want to
move to an area one of the primary things they look at is if their labor force will be able to find
safe and affordable housing. While Brunswick County leaders are focused on economic
development it is a concern whether they see how affordable housing plays a key role in

7. developing the economy. If people are paying 50% of their income toward their housing costs
little is left over for essential things such as food, healthcare, savings, utilities, and childcare.
According to the U.S. Census, Brunswick County residents from 2000 to 2010, have seen an
80% increase in people who are paying more than 30% of their rent or mortgage including taxes
& insurance, HOA dues, and utilities on housing costs. This is a stark increase and has serious
consequences for the economy. Brunswick County is considered affluent by the state rating but
in fact the poverty rate is 15.7% and 43% of the population lives in rural unincorporated areas.
The rating is skewed by the affluent retirees living in the wealthy beach communities.
If Brunswick County is to remain a place that offers a wide range of options for all housing
types and wants to focus on economic development the county must realize that housing is an
important piece of that puzzle. The county should establish a new regional housing task force or
coalition that brings together the private and public sectors, church groups, concerned citizens,
bankers and local government and elected officials to ensure that Brunswick County creates a
vision to develop more affordable housing. Some of the goals of this taskforce would be to
create a strategic plan going forward with specific goals. An example of some of these goals
might be to:
1)Research and quantify the number, type and location of affordable housing units that are
needed and desired by the community.
2)Focus on the development of affordable rental housing for a variety of lifestyles, which
includes studio units, supportive housing units, housing for people with disabilities and units for
families.
4)Research, develop and identify funding sources for middle-income housing programs such as a
revolving loan fund. The City of Wilmington through CDBG funding has created the HOP
Program which would serve as a good example.
5)Support the ability for senior citizens to age-in-place or transition to affordable housing within
the community.
6)Support the reuse and redevelopment of property that can be developed into affordable
housing. A good example of this is brown fields where you can get tax incentives for cleaning up
the property and sometimes get it for free.
9)Establish requirements for minimum percentages of affordable and workface housing in
residential development projects.
10)Build local developer capacity and knowledge about using low and moderate income housing
subsidies from the state and federal level.
11)Enable fast track permitting and development for key housing choice projects.
12)Enable zoning regulations that encourages a mix of housing types in all new developments.

8. 13)Locate compact, higher density housing in locations where walking biking and transit are
viable options thereby potentially reducing the housing and transportation cost burden.
Introduction
Housing is a key economic driver in the US economy accounting for 3.3% of the Gross
Domestic Product (GDP) totaling $600 billion dollars in 2016 (Joint Center for Housing Studies
of Harvard University, 2016). This is below the historical average of 4.6% but is an increase
from its all-time low of 2.4% during the Great Recession (JCHS, 2016). Housing affordability
has been identified as not only an economic issue for communities, but also a determinant of an
individuals’ quality of life and the ability to own a home impacts one’s wealth over a lifetime.
While the housing economy is starting to recover and income growth has picked up many people
are having a difficult time finding affordable quality housing and the problem is becoming a
public policy challenge around the nation. There are lingering issues with the ability to get loans
for homeownership, the eroding of rental affordability, millennials being saddled with debt, the
growing concentration of poverty, income inequality and the aging of the population on a fixed
income.
Unfortunately, when people hear the term ‘affordable housing,’ it can conjure up fearful
images of run-down projects from the 1960’s which were inhabited by people who were grouped
together in concentrated poverty. In reality, housing affordability is simply defined as a
homeowner or renter who pays 30% or less of their gross income including mortgage or rent,
HOA dues, utilities, taxes, and insurance towards their housing costs (HUD, 2016). This
definition is applicable to a family who is affluent, middle class, or working class. A family or
individual is considered housing cost burdened if they pay over 30% of their gross income on

9. housing expenses. In 2014, 21.3 million Americans were considered housing cost burdened
(JCHS, 2016).
Resources for the support of affordable housing became more limited with the continuing
decentralization of federal housing programs to the states as block grants as well as the
expiration of government subsidized rental units (Urban Land Institute, 2007). Many affordable
housing units continue to be lost to expiring uses such as Nesbitt Court in Wilmington, NC
which was owned and operated as affordable housing by the Wilmington Housing Authority and
has now been turned into luxury apartments. Waiting lists for housing assistance remain years
long in many areas of the country.
In North Carolina homeowners see a trend in housing costs continuing to go up faster than
wages. Currently, in North Carolina a person would need to make $15.32 per hour to afford a 2-
bedroom apartment at $796 per month working 40 hours a week to avoid paying more than 30%
of their income towards housing (NC Housing Coalition, 2015). The minimum wage in the state
is $7.25 so a person would have to work 85 hours a week to be able to afford a two-bedroom
apartment at fair market rent (NC Housing Coalition, 2015).
North Carolina – 2015 (Figure 1: State vs. Brunswick County Facts)
NC State Facts Brunswick County
Facts
Minimum Wage $7.25 $7.25
Average Renter
Wage
$15.32 $16.29
Average Actual
Wage
$10.53 $9.93
2 Bdrm. Apt $796 $825
Affordable Rent $505.44 $476.64
(National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2016)

10. Definition of Affordable Housing
The housing wage is set by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) using
their Fair Market Rent (FMR) calculator, which are the Department’s best estimate of what a
household seeking a modest rental unit can expect to pay for rent and utilities in the current
market (NC Housing Coalition, 2016). The FMR is the basis for the rent payment standard for
Housing Choice Vouchers commonly known as Section 8 and other HUD programs. They are
applied uniformly within each FMR area, which is either a metropolitan region or
nonmetropolitan county (HUD, 2016).
It is important to note that because HUD’s affordable housing definition is based on income,
“affordable housing” is a relative term (NC Housing Coalition, 2015). What is considered
affordable may vary from county to county, and even between rural and urban areas within a
county.
Brunswick County has Section 8 vouchers which are administered through the Federal
Government to the states. Brunswick County currently has a long waiting list and if someone
gets a Section 8 voucher the person or family pays no more than 30% of their income on their
rent. Currently, one of the problems in the county is that people who have been able to receive
vouchers have up to three months to find a suitable apartment or house but many have been
unable to locate something within that time frame which suggests the extreme shortage of rentals
in the county.
The other program the county offers which is also through the federal government is the
Federal Low Income Housing Tax Credit Program. This program was created in 1986 and
through a competitive application process, private government and non-profit developers can

11. submit project proposals for rental housing developments to be considered for LIHTC funding.
The developer uses the proceeds from the investment by the syndicator or investor in the credit
for constructing the housing project. This enables the developer to offer housing to low income
households at rates that are below the current market rents. Brunswick County has several of
these developments which are well run but often have very long waiting lists to get into an
apartment.
Often you will hear the term ‘workforce housing’ and affordable housing used
interchangeably. HUD does not distinguish between the definitions but workforce housing often
implies housing for middle income workers such as: police officers, teachers and nurses. Often
there is a discriminate line where people who are referring to workforce housing are referring to
those who make between 60% to 120% of the area median income. In contrast, the term
affordable housing often refers to households whose income is less than 60% of the AMI
(Sweaney, 2004). This paper uses the term affordable housing because the majority of the
workforce in Brunswick County is made up of lower-wage and part-time service workers. The
term captures more of the population and people at the lower end of the wage scale are
disproportionately affected by high housing costs.
Brunswick County, North Carolina
Brunswick County is the fastest growing county in the state and the 47th
fastest growing in the
nation (Tippett, 2016). It is in the top 10% in the country for in-migration of people 55 and older
from out of state. It is in the Southeastern most point in North Carolina bordered by Wilmington
at one end and Myrtle Beach at the other end. The temperate climate and the 45 miles of
beautiful beaches have opened it up to tremendous population growth (Community Health

12. Assessment, 2015). Brunswick County had a 10.6% growth rate in population between 2010 and
2014, from 107,431 people to 118,83 (Census, 2015).
Figure 2: Brunswick County Demographics
Source: Brunswick County Economic Development
Many of the new residents moving to the area are retired and relocating from areas with higher
incomes and property values. While this contributes to an increase in the area median income
(AMI) and brings higher income households into the local economy, it also factors into the
increase in housing costs (FOCUS, 2014). In 2016, the median home cost in Brunswick County
was $206,300 and the average price of a lot of $94,884 (BC Government, 2015). Area median
income for Brunswick County for 2016 was $58,300 (National Low Income Housing Coalition,
2016).
Compared to the rest of the country, Brunswick County’s cost of living is 4% higher than the
U.S. average (BC Government, 2015). Currently, 43% of the population lives in rural,
unincorporated areas and the poverty rate in 2015 was 15.7%. A person would have to make

13. $16.29 an hour to afford the fair market rent of $825 a month for a two-bedroom apartment in
Brunswick County. The typical renter, however, earns $9.93 per hour (NC Housing Coalition,
2015).
The region’s economy is dominated by local service businesses, many of which cater to the
retiree population. While these are decent jobs, there is a lack of equal balance of jobs that
export goods and services and bring outside money back into the local economy (FOCUS, 2014).
Employment in the County is heavily concentrated in low-paying, part-time, or seasonal jobs.
Approximately, 42% of all jobs are in retail trade, accommodations and food services, or health
care and social services as you can see in the chart below (Department of Labor, 2016).
Manufacturing, which pays higher wages, accounts for only 5% of all jobs in the County. The
chart below is a list of the major employers in the county.
Figure 3: Largest Employers in Brunswick County
(Brunswick County Economic Development, 2015)

14. Economic development is the primary focus of Brunswick County leadership
but an important barrier to economic development is a lack of affordable housing for the
workforce. The benefits of affordable housing extend beyond its occupants to the community at
large. The development of affordable housing increases spending and employment in the
surrounding economy and acts as an important source of revenue for local governments.
Without a sufficient supply of affordable housing, employers and entire regional economies can
be at a competitive disadvantage because of their subsequent difficulty attracting and retaining
workers (Center for Housing Policy, 2011). Housing choice and affordability can attract
positive growth where both businesses and families will choose to locate in a community where
housing is available and affordable. Businesses prefer these communities because housing
availability increases employee recruitment and retention. Families prefer these communities
because they are better able to match their need and interest to the rang of housing that is
available. This cycle contributes to many other aspects of a vibrant community (Orton Family
Foundation, 2012). Without a sufficient supply of affordable housing, employers and entire
regional economies can be a competitive disadvantage because of their subsequent difficulty
attracting and retaining workers.
Housing is vital to economic development and everyone deserves quality affordable housing.
High housing costs leave low-income families with little left over for other important expenses,
leading to difficult budget trade-offs. The availability of decent housing that is close to work
and affordable for the jobholders upon which the proper functioning of the local economy
depends is essential to the community’s economic health (ULI, 2007).

15. In a cover story dated September 30, 2016 by the Star News titled “No vacancy for rentals,”
the article discussed that people are moving out of New Hanover County into the suburban
Leland area and there is an influx of northerners, and a large demographic of retired people
looking to rent (Star News, 2016). The article goes on to state that this is the tightest rental
market that Brunswick County has ever seen (Star News, 2016).
Purpose of this study
The purpose of the Community Survey was to gather information on ‘perceptions’ of
affordable housing from concerned citizens, non-profit leaders, government workers, teachers,
government officials, elected politicians and the working people of Brunswick County. The data
will see if there is a gap between citizen perceptions and the data compiled from the census as
well as from the National Low Income Housing Coalition. The methodology will be to survey
1% of the population and to target every zip code and to reach out to people who do not easily
have access to a computer or who live in rural areas. We hope to gather survey information from
1,188 residents of Brunswick County over the age of 18.
The data shows that housing and rental affordability have become an increasing problem in
Brunswick County. The 2010 Census showed an 80% increase in housing costs from 2000 when
22.6% of the population was housing cost burdened to 2010 when 40.9% of the population was
housing cost burdened. Nearly 39% of homeowners in Brunswick County are cost burdened,
meaning they spent 30% or more of their gross income on housing costs. The rate of cost
burdened homeowners nearly doubled between 2000 and 2010 (FOCUS, 2014). About 95% of
the region’s households spend more than 45% of their income on housing and transportation
(FOCUS, 2014).

16. Figure 4: % Of Cost Burdened Individuals from 2000 to 2010
Housing costs are outpacing income and making homeownership unattainable for many
families. This change in population negatively impacts the proportion of lower income
households that have equitable access to housing in all areas of the region. There is a widening
gap between market-rents and starting prices of new homes and the amounts many households
can afford.
The Importance of Housing
The market for affordable housing is diverse and does not correspond with many people’s
outdated stereotypes about who lives in affordable housing. People in all stages of the life cycle
need housing. Young adults who are just starting out in their careers need affordable housing.
Senior citizens on a fixed income, might need low-maintenance, affordable housing. Disabled
people, including war veterans who suffered injuries that have affected their ability to work, need
and deserve safe and affordable housing.
In 1943, psychologist Abraham Maslow published his famous Hierarchy of Needs, in which
he outlined the basic human necessities needed to reach ‘self-actualization,’ or pure happiness.
22.6
80
0
20
40
60
80
100
2000 2010
%
Housing Cost Burdened Households
Brunswick County, NC

17. At the bottom of the pyramid is ‘shelter,’ meaning that shelter is a physiological necessity that
comes before health.
Literature Review
Currently, 48 million Americans live at or below the poverty level, yet there are just over five
million units of HUD supported housing in the U.S. (HUD, 2016). Federal housing assistance is
so limited that just one out of every four eligible households receives it (NLIHC, 2015). Much
of the literature points to the serious consequences of not providing enough affordable housing
whether it be for workforce housing (police, teachers, social service workers) or for retail and
service workers, which negatively impacts the economy as well as health and education
outcomes, leading to difficult budget trade-offs (Duerr, 2014).
The literature on affordable housing is vast. The issue is a problem in many parts of the
country but many feel that it has not attracted the attention that it deserves nationally or on a
local level. A dominant feature of the American housing market is a general failure to
accommodate the needs of a significant portion of low and moderate-income people (Roche,
2007). In Brunswick County, the majority of developers cater to the high-end market of retirees

18. in places such as: Brunswick Forest, Ocean Ridge, Sea Trail, Magnolia Greens and St. James
Plantation to name just a few. This creates market failure because the free market is failing to
allocate resources efficiently. When housing is left to the market, the market follows the money.
Wage Stagnation and Income Inequality
The greatest obstacle to meeting underserved needs in Brunswick County and the region is
persistent income inequality and the stagnation of earned income and job advancement
opportunity in the local economy (Yentel, 2016). Exacerbating this is the fact that housing
prices continue to climb due to Brunswick County being a popular retirement destination. The
increase in housing costs has far out-paced any increase in median income as the graph below
illustrates.
Figure 5: Gap in housing income needed to rent an apartment in 2016
(Low Income Housing Coalition, 2016)
The area median income (AMI) for Brunswick County in 2016 is $58, 300. Providing
affordable housing to anyone below 80 percent of areas’ median income is a challenge. The
$0.00
$2.00
$4.00
$6.00
$8.00
$10.00
$12.00
$14.00
$16.00
$18.00
$20.00
Brunswick County New Hanover Couty
Gap in housing income for 2016
Hourly wage needed for 2 Bdrm. @ FMR Estimated hourly wage

19. wages that most families earn is not, according to the MIT Living Wage Calculator, sufficient for
providing the food, shelter and other necessities for a modest standard of living
(http://livingwage.mit.edu/counties/37129) (Garner Report, 2014). Special populations (elderly,
disabled, homeless, ex-offenders) are adversely impacted by the gap of affordable housing
(Roche, 2007). Absent public subsidy, the private market does little to produce new rental
housing affordable to the lowest income households (Nguyen,2016). The rent these households
can afford to pay often does not cover debt service on the capital costs of development and other
operating expenses (Yentel, 2016). An examination of the area median income (AMI) over the
past decade reveals that families earning 80 percent or less AMI have been challenged to
purchase a home since 2004 (Garner Report, 2014).
An analysis by the Brookings Institution in 2016 found that regions with greater income
inequality tend to have lower housing affordability for low income households. The N.C.
Department of Commerce annually ranks the state’s 100 counties based on economic well-being
and assigns each a Tier designation. Tier 1 is distressed, tier 2 is average and tier 3 is affluent.
Brunswick County is in tier 3 and designated as affluent but it is only because of the wealthy
beach communities. It has a high poverty rate at 15.7% and 43% live in rural unincorporated
areas. Greater income inequality was associated with greater housing cost burdens among the
poorest 20% of households (Yentel, 2016).
The findings in the report Out of Reach, Yentl suggests that housing markets are more
responsive to the demand for rental housing among higher income households than to the
housing needs of lower income households. Developers target new rental units to the upper end
of the rental market where rents are higher and there is a larger profit margin.

20. Not in My Back Yard (NIMBY)
Battle lines continue to be drawn across the country between affordable housing advocates
who wish to deconcentrate 1960’s era public housing and proponents who see an invasion of
undesirable neighbors who seek to undermine their quality of life, security and, most
importantly, their property values. Affordable housing supporters, including non-profit
advocacy groups and an increasing number of local governments, see the drag on society that
concentrated poverty causes and the opportunities missed by low income residents who are
forced to live in high poverty neighborhoods.
The belief that affordable housing reduces the value of property is the core argument among
proponents of NIMBY attitudes (Nguyen, 2015.) Community members have resisted affordable
housing due to concerns regarding quality and design of structures, changing neighborhood
character, negative externalities (traffic congestion), entrance of “undesirables” into the
neighborhood and antigrowth sentiment in general (Nguyen, 2005). Exclusionary zoning is the
requirement by local government that requires large lot sizes, large square footage per dwelling
and in some instances high-end features. This deprives low and moderate-income people the
opportunity to live in certain neighborhoods and is a major barrier to housing affordability.
Nguyen in the article Does Affordable Housing Detrimentally Affect Property Values, goes on
to say that there has been little scholarly evidence to show that property values are threatened by
nearby affordable housing units. Nguyen finds that people are more concerned with the design
of the housing, the number of units and how it will be managed. Therefore, developers seeking
(or forced by local ordinances) to develop affordable housing must develop a thorough
understanding of the affordable housing debate in order to facilitate approval of their designs by

21. local communities and local governments. They must use their knowledge of the affordable
housing issue to embark on a comprehensive public relations effort (Urban Land Institute, 2007).
This effort should include a strong educational component designed to inform the public and
elected officials about what affordable housing is and is not. Developers, recognizing this
stigma, must demonstrate to political and civic leaders that today’s affordable housing projects
must endure a rigorous underwriting and due diligence process so that people feel safe with what
they are getting in their neighborhood (Urban Land Institute, 2007).
Economics of Affordable Housing
Conversations about affordable housing usually focus on the cost to taxpayers and rarely
consider the economic benefits that accrue when communities encourage the development of
affordable housing (Wardip, 2011). Communities can support the development of housing for
people and families at a variety of income levels and they should because it supports the local
economy. The availability of decent housing that is close to work and affordable to jobholders
upon which the local economy relies upon is essential to the community’s economic health
(Urban Land Institute, 2014).
Research in the reading consistently shows that the development of affordable housing creates
jobs both during construction and through new consumer spending after the homes have been
build (Wardip, 2011). Econsult (2007) estimates that every dollar of public housing operating
expenditures generates an additional $.93 of economic activity in the local market. In addition to
these benefits, the development of affordable housing can have positive fiscal effects for
localities in a variety of other ways. Depending on the taxes paid and services received by a
household living in a new unit, affordable housing can also have a positive annul on-going
impact on a municipalities’ bottom line (Wardip, 2011). Many local jurisdictions are adopting

22. codes that promote affordable housing. In many cases, cities and counties are offering bonus
densities, fee waivers, streamlined review processes or other incentives to encourage affordable
housing (Hickey, 2013). The National Association of Home Builders (NAHB) estimates that
100 units of affordable housing for families generates the same amount of one-time revenue for
jurisdictions as does a comparable market-rate property which is roughly $827,000, on average
with more than half coming from permit/impact fees and utility uses fees.
In Southport, they recently passed an ordinance that allowed cottage or ‘accessory dwellings’
otherwise known as Granny Flats, which allows the homeowner to have a garage apartment or
small dwelling on their lot. These codes include exemptions or provide flexibility in applying
regulations to help hold down the costs of affordable housing.
A mix of housing opportunities that accommodates a demographically diverse population
helps to create a community with income and age diversity. The lack of affordable housing has
been perceived as a barrier for economic development in rural areas where there is a shortage of
housing for the workforce. Housing is central to a community’s quality of life and that housing
needs reflect a community’s values (Sweaney et al, 2004).
Methodology/Research Design
Research Question(s)
It is evident from the research extracted from the U.S. Census and the literature review that
housing affordability is a problem in Brunswick County that needs to be addressed. Brunswick
County is the fastest growing county in North Carolina and the population grew by 14.3% between
2010 and 2015, an increase of more than 15,000 residents (Carolina Demography, 2016). Its net

23. in-migration from retirees has accounted for all the county’s population increase (Carolina
Demography, 2016).
The model for this paper will be to use a gap analysis to study the policy question “What is the
gap that exists between actual data on affordable housing and citizen perceptions of the need for
affordable housing in Brunswick County?” If perceptions of affordable housing are negative, this
could lead to Not In My Backyard (NIMBY) attitudes, which would indicate a lack of knowledge
about affordable housing. Significant impediments to addressing this issue are the myths and
misunderstandings associated with housing affordability (Sheridan, 2015). Income inequality is
also evident in the large wage gap that exists between what people make and how much they need
to make to afford current market rents. For instance, the estimated hourly mean renter wage in
2016 is $9.93 but a person would need to make $15.87 an hour to afford the current market rent
for a 2- bedroom apartment at $825 per month according to HUD (HUD, 2016). This leads to less
money being spent on essential items such as: food, childcare, entertainment, and healthcare and
thus inversely affects the economy.
Methods
The impetus for this study began when Olivia Dorsey the Housing Program Manager at
Brunswick Family Assistance called Drs. Kristen DeVall and Christina Lanier (Associate
Professors of Sociology and Criminology at UNCW) to find out if a grant from the Office of
Community Engagement was available to study perceptions of affordable housing in Brunswick
County. In July, 2016 UNCW’s Office of Community Engagement approved a $5,000 grant to
study housing affordability in Brunswick County (See appendix A for a copy of the grant
application). The Community Engagement Grant (CEG) supports scholarly projects that

24. represent collaborative partnerships among community partners, students and faculty/teams
(UNCW, 2016). The goal of this community engagement grant is to expand and deepen
mutually beneficial relationships among faculty, students, and community partners which would
be Brunswick Family Assistance (BFA).
BFA will benefit from this project as it contributes to their vision, which is “a community where
all people have access to an adequate and nutritious supply of food and resources to sustain
themselves (BFA, 2016).” The benefits to UNCW include: graduate students with the opportunity
to engage in community-based research and the enhancement of community partner capacity
(DuVall & Lanier, 2016).
Roles of each party involved
Since this project was a collective community survey effort between Olivia Dorsey Housing
Program Manager at Brunswick Family Assistance and Dr. Lanier and Dr. DuVall in the
Department of Public Sociology, each party had certain responsibilities to follow through on.
Below is a list of the expectations of each party. These included:
Olivia Dorsey (Brunswick Family Assistance/Housing Program Manager)-Responsibilities
 Meet with Drs. DeVall and Lanier and a graduate student to develop survey instrument
 Review and finalize the survey instrument
 Assist with the determination of study sampling frame
 Administer the paper version of the survey to Brunswick County residents
 Review preliminary findings and provide feedback
 Use as final capstone report for graduate thesis
 Present finding of research report to Brunswick County Board of Commissioners and other stakeholder
groups
Drs. DeVall and Lanier /Responsibilities
 Meet with representatives from BFA to develop survey instrument content
 Determine appropriate sampling technique

25.  Development of the survey instrument (paper and electronic)
 Train, supervise, and mentor graduate student
 Create SPSS database for analysis
 Analyze and disseminate research findings
 Prepare final research report
Information was also selected from several surveys employed in other housing affordability
studies (Tighe, 2009; Hart & Associates, 2014). The county was consulted on the survey for
feedback and input as well as other local non-profits and private builders who live in Brunswick
County. Approval was given by the County Manager Ann Hardy. The research proposal was
submitted to the UNCW Institutional Review Board (IRB) and it was determined that this project
did not require IRB approval.
Dissemination process
Both an electronic and a paper version of the survey were created to gather information from a
wide range of income levels as well as zip codes (see appendix A) for a copy of the survey). Six
hundred and fifty paper copies of the survey were made available through the grant and the
electronic survey was housed in RedCap (UNCW, 2016). Individuals were eligible to participate
in this study if they were over the age of eighteen and were residents of Brunswick County. The
electronic survey was disseminated through all municipal email listservs, the Star News, the
Brunswick Beach, the Southport Pilot, the South Brunswick Interfaith Ministry, and social media
(see appendix C for a list of all organizations contacted). Specifically, information was highlighted
in the Star News on October 2nd
and in the Brunswick Beacon on October 7th
. Clients at BFA were
asked if they would like to participate in the survey and given a paper copy at the front desk to fill
out. Brunswick County Department of Social Services also asked clients to participate with paper
surveys at their location in Bolivia. All government towns/counties and cities put the affordable

26. housing survey press release and link to RedCap up on their respective web pages. The survey is
was in process from September 1 to October 13th
, 2016. The survey was also posted on the BFA
website. South Brunswick Interfaith Council which consists of fifteen church groups participated
and put the information on their websites and in their weekly newsletters. Many non-profits
participated including: Brunswick Housing Opportunities, Brunswick County Homeless Coalition
and Brunswick Senior Center.
Type of analysis – Gap Analysis
An important first step in identifying solutions to housing affordability was to gather
information from community residents regarding their perceptions on this topic from all income
levels and every zip code throughout Brunswick County. This helped community leaders have a
more complete picture when making decisions and helped to identify supported solutions to
increase access to affordable housing.
This study used a gap analysis which compares what the current situation is (lack of
affordable housing) to what optimal performance would look like (enough affordable housing).
A gap analysis helped to focus the goals, specified the target audience and informed more
specific needs of the target audience. The graph below gives an example.
Figure 6: Gap Analysis

27. The Brunswick County Community Housing Survey measured citizen perceptions of the
problem of affordable housing to measure if the findings match what the actual data states as a
lack of affordable housing by using bivariate and descriptive statistics. Some of the responses
that were measured are: lack of affordable housing, incentives and how they should be used,
opinions on affordable housing lowering property value or making a neighborhood more
attractive, and whether affordable housing increases or decreases crime.
Affordable Housing Gap Analysis Model (Figure 7: Gap Analysis)
Limitations
The methodology had some important limitations. First, 14.9% of the population live in
poverty and may not have access to a computer. Individuals and families could have come into
BFA in Shallotte or to DSS in Bolivia to take the survey but many lack transportation and the
county is quite large. Also, as you look over the results keep in mind that the study’s finding are
Status Quo
Lack of
Affordable
Housing in
Brunswick
County
GAP
What is the gap
that currently
exists between
hard data and
citizen
perceptions?
MISSING
What is lacking?
This could be
more education
around AH, more
funding etc.
OUTCOME
What is the
desired plan of
action?

28. not necessarily representative of the opinions of Brunswick County residents and thus cannot be
generalized to the larger population. The study was limited to those who had access to the
survey during the study time which was September 1st
to October 13th
, 2016. Second, the
demographic composition of the study sample reveals that although most zip codes throughout
the county were represented the majority were from Ocean Isle and Bolivia. 44% of respondents
made above the median income of $58,300 and 19% made over $100,000. Similarly, 76.4% of
respondents own their own home and 24.1% report paying no mortgage or rent at all. This
suggests that the overwhelming majority of respondents are in the upper social classes.
Results
Figure 8 displays the demographic characteristics for the sample. Among those who
responded, 29% reported being male, while 58% reported being female. The overwhelming
majority of respondents, 79% reported being White/Caucasian as their race. The distribution of
reported gross income revealed a relative skew with 43% reporting a gross income greater than
the 2016 median income of $58,300 (National Low Income Housing Coalition, 2016) for
Brunswick County. Respondents reporting less than $39,999 made up 32.1% of the sample.
Most people taking the survey varied by zip code and were representative of the entire county
but the data was skewed with the most respondents being from Bolivia with 18.6% and Ocean
Isle Beach with 19.3% of respondents.

29. Figure 8: Demographic Characteristics (N=781)
SEX
Male 29%
Female 58%
Prefer not to answer 1.8%
RACE
American Indian or Alaskan Native 1.3%
Asian or Pacific Islander .3%
Black or African American 6.9%
White/Caucasian 76%
Multiracial 1.3%
Gross Income
Less than $10,000 9.4%
$10,000-$19,999 11.1%
$20,000-$29,000 7.2%
$30,000-$39,000 4.4%
$40,000-$49,000 4.5%
$50,000-$59,000 6%
$60,000-$69,000 8%
$70,000-$99,000 17%
$100,000 or more 19%
Zip Code
Ash-28420 1.8%
Bolivia-28422 18.6%
Leland/Belville-28451 4.2%
Longwood-28452 .5%
Shallotte-28470 9.6%
Southport/Bald Head Island-28461 9.3%
Holden Beach/Green Swamp -28462 10%
Oak Island/Caswell Beach-28465 1.9%
Carolina Shores/Calabash-28467 7.7%
Sunset Beach-28468 4.9%
Ocean Isle Beach-28469 19.3%
Winnabow-28479 1.4%
Respondents were asked how long they had residing in Brunswick County, NC. Figure 9
reveals that 44% of respondents reported living in Brunswick County over 11 years, with almost
a quarter reporting more than 20 years.

30. Figure 9: Number of years residing in Brunswick County
Respondents were asked about their current housing status regarding their housing situation
and type of housing (Figure 10). The majority of respondents reported owning their own home
76.4% which closely corresponded with living in a single-family home 75%.
Figure 10: Summary of Current Housing Status
Current Housing Situation %
Own 76.4%
Rent 17%
Live with family &/or friends 4.9%
Homeless .6%
Type of Housing
Single family home 75%
Rental apartment 2.8%
Mobile Home 15%
Low-Income Tax Credit Housing .8%
Condominium 2.6%
N=781
13%
19%
22%
26%
18%
0
50
100
150
200
250
Less than
2 years
2-5 years 6-10 years 11-20
years
More than
20 years
%
N=781
Number of Years Residing
in Brunswick County

31. In addition, respondents reported their monthly rent or mortgage payment. As seen in figure
11, approximately 24.1%, the majority of respondents reported having not to pay a mortgage or
rent and 28.2% of respondents pay below $800 for rent and/or a mortgage.
Figure 11: Cost for Rent or Mortgage
As stated earlier in the paper, the focus of the survey was to gauge the community perceptions
of affordable housing. Respondents were asked if they believed there was a need for affordable
housing in Brunswick County and 80.5%, an overwhelming majority responded affirmatively.
Figure 12 represents the responses of the sample.
12.4 15.8
8.8 8.3 5.8 4.6 2.8 2.1 5
24.1
0
10
20
30
%
N=781
Monthly Cost for Rent or
Mortgage in Brunswick
County

32. Figure 12: Need for affordable housing
Respondents were then asked about their opinions regarding what strategy Brunswick County
should take to develop more affordable housing and gauge support for various options in figure
13. Respondents were asked to pick all options that they thought were appropriate. The
overwhelming majority, 62.4% thought that the county should work with private developers to
build more affordable housing and only 8% thought that the county should do nothing.
Figure 13: What should be done to build more affordable housing/
80.5
10.8
0
20
40
60
80
100
Yes No
%
N=781
Is there a need for affordable
housing in Brunswick County
9.6
62.4
32.3
35.6
8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
70
Leave it to private
developers
County should
work with private
developers to
build more
affordable hosuing
Require new
development to
have a certain %
dedicated to
affordable housing
Non-profits should
seek funding
through grants to
develop affordable
housing
Brunswick County
should not do
anything
%
What should Brunswick County do to
build more affordable housing?

33. In figure 14 respondents were asked what kind of options they would support within their
community which included: housing for seniors, veterans, disabled individuals as well as
housing built and run by a non-profit organization. All options were very close in support
ranging from 57%-52% and with 10.8% saying that did not support any of the options for
affordable housing.
Figure 14: What options are supported to build more affordable housing?
The survey asked respondents about their perception of the impact of affordable housing in
their own neighborhood. The results in figure 15 reveal an interesting trend in the level of
agreement among respondents. For example, when asked if affordable housing in their
neighborhood would lower their property lower their property values, 48.5% of the sample
agreed or strongly agreed and 34.5% disagreed or strongly disagreed. Many respondents thought
52
54
57
55
10.8
0
10
20
30
40
50
60
Government subsidized
senior living apartment
(55+)
Affordable housing
build and run by a local
non profit or private
developer
Affordable housing for
disabled veterans
Affordable housing for
any disabled individuals
I do not support any of
the options listed
%
Which of the following options would you support
within Brunswick County?

34. building affordable housing would increase traffic 56.1%, but also respondents also thought that
building affordable housing would have a positive impact on the local economy 56.3%.
Figure 15: Perception of Impact of Affordable Housing in One’s Neighborhood
Building affordable
housing as described in
my neighborhood
would….
Strongly
Disagree
Disagree Agree Strongly Agree
…lower my property
values
5.5% 29% 30.4% 18.1%
...increase crime 13% 41.1% 21.3% 9.7%
…make the community
more attractive
15.7% 33% 31% 7%
…negatively affect the
community’s character
11.4% 46.3% 20.2% 12%
…increase traffic 4.7% 24.1% 45.3% 10.8%
…have a positive impact
on the local economy
9.2% 22% 45% 11.3%
To gauge the public perception of various housing related issues, respondents were asked the
degree to which they viewed the issues listed in figure 16 as challenging within Brunswick
County. In 6 out of the 7 categories, over 55% of respondents who answered the question felt
that the concerns were very or somewhat challenging. In fact, over 81.8% of respondents
identified affordable housing for a family of four with an income of $24,000 as very or
somewhat challenging and 78.2% as somewhat or very challenging for young adults who are just
entering the labor force to find quality affordable housing. Affordable housing is easy to find for
middle and upper income households, but there is a shortage of housing and rental opportunities
for lower income households.

35. Figure 16: Perception of Housing Related Issues in Brunswick County
Very
Challenging
Somewhat
Challenging
Somewhat
Easy
Very Easy Not Sure
For a family of four with an
income of $24,000 to find
affordable quality housing 65% 16.8% 1.9% .5% 4.7%
For young adults who are
just entering the labor force
to find affordable quality
housing
40% 38.2% 6.8% 1.7% 2%
To find affordable quality
housing to buy 33% 36.3% 10.6% 2.2% 5.9%
To find affordable quality
rental housing 35% 32% 13% 3.3% 5.1%
For retired people to find
affordable quality housing 26% 33% 20.1% 5.5% 5.4%
For a family of four with an
income of $60,000 to find
affordable quality housing 6.8% 27% 35% 14.5% 6.1%
For a family with children
to find affordable quality
housing near quality public
schools
39.4% 24.7% 6.1% 3.2% 5.4%
Conclusions
The study sought to achieve three objectives through the dissemination of a community
survey on perceptions of affordable housing to residents of Brunswick County. The first was to
develop an understanding of community members’ perceptions and attitudes regarding housing
affordability in Brunswick County, North Carolina. Second, to attempt to identify supported
solutions to increase access to affordable housing within Brunswick County. Third, through the
dissemination of the study findings, to increase knowledge among Brunswick County leaders
regarding the issue of affordable housing.

36. Notwithstanding these important limitations, most respondents 80.5% reported that affordable
housing was an issue within Brunswick County and a large percentage of study respondents
reported that they would support various affordable housing initiatives such as the county
working with private developers to build housing for seniors, disabled individuals and veterans.
There were mixed opinions regarding the impact of affordable housing in the community. More
specifically, feelings were mixed about whether affordable housing would lower property values
and whether it would increase the attractiveness of Brunswick County. Fewer respondents
believed that affordable housing would have a positive impact on the economy, but that it would
also increase traffic.
Respondents generally endorsed the idea that finding quality affordable housing was
challenging for several different groups (e.g., those with incomes less than $24,000, young
adults, families with children, and renters).
Recommendation(s)
The impetus for this study was to measure perceptions on affordable housing issues as well as
to gauge support for various affordable housing initiatives. Many respondents in the survey said
that the County should work with developers to build more affordable housing and other options
such as requiring new development to have a certain percentage dedicated to affordable housing
as well as non-profits seeking funding to build affordable housing were also strongly supported.
Moreover, 80.5% of respondents stated that there was a need for affordable housing in the
county. Research shows that perceptions surrounding affordable housing directly and
significantly impacts the success or failure of new developments. While, community perception
plays an important role in the success and failures of affordable housing projects, understanding

37. the dynamics of local housing conditions assists decision makers and citizens as they develop
strategies that improve the quality of life in their communities (Sweaney et al., 2004).
Key policy makers, government leaders, politicians, non-profit groups, church organization’s
and concerned citizens can see this study as an important first step in realizing the importance of
affordable housing as it relates to the diversity, economic development and vibrancy of the
county. If Brunswick County is to remain a place that is home to a wide range of working
families at all income levels, action needs to be taken to increase the supply of affordable
housing. Government and non-profits can-not afford to work in silos so my recommendation is
that local leaders should form a affordable housing task force to come up with solutions to find
innovative ways to solve this social problem.
Currently, in Brunswick County there is no county wide strategy for dealing with affordable
housing beyond the traditional Section 8 vouchers and low-income tax credit programs. Both
programs have long waiting lists and rarely have any openings.
While, it would be easy to start recommending various tactics such as changing zoning
regulations, creating density bonuses for developers, or creating tiny houses the first processes
needs to begin on the ground level. While citizens see affordable housing as an issue as
evidenced by the community survey, county government is focused primarily on economic
development. It would be important to make the case that affordable housing is directly tied to
economic development on all levels.
The first step would be to bring policy makers, developers, housing advocates, concerned
citizens, church organizations and non-profit groups together to develop a clear strategy to
address the critical need for affordable housing in Brunswick County. Local leaders should

38. establish a new regional housing task force or coalition that focus on the goal of affordable
housing for all citizens. The mission of the organization would be to support the promotion of
affordable housing at all income levels in Brunswick County.
The suggested first steps would be to do the following:
1) Partner with government agencies, community development corporations, other nonprofit
organizations, for-profit and market-rate developers to form a broad and far reaching
collaboration to form a vision for the county in terms of affordable housing.
2) Put dollars and cents on paper to explain how affordable housing impacts the economy as well as
how it impacts economic development. Employers will not come to an area if their workers can-
not find affordable housing to live in.
3) Establish a specific action plan for expanding affordable housing in the county, educating and
lobbying public and private organizations and individuals to support this plan and identify
milestones to access progress.
4) Strive to create diversity in housing types and residents to disparate incomes and backgrounds.
5) It is the job of affordable housing providers and local governments to demonstrate the value of
affordable housing development and dispel myths and misconceptions that often surround
affordable housing.
Some suggestions for the taskforce once it was formed would be to:
1)Research and quantify the number, type and location of affordable housing units that are
needed and desired by the community.
2)Focus on the development of affordable rental housing for a variety of lifestyles, which
includes studio units, supportive housing units, housing for people with disabilities and units for
families.
4)Research, develop and identify funding sources for middle-income housing programs such as a
revolving loan fund. The City of Wilmington has the HOP Program which is a good example of
this.
5)Support the ability for senior citizens to age-in-place or transition to affordable housing within
the community.
6)Support the reuse and redevelopment of property that can be developed into affordable
housing. A good example of this is brown fields.
9)Establish requirements for minimum percentages of affordable and workface housing in
residential development projects.
10)Build local developer capacity and knowledge about using low and moderate income housing
subsidies from the state and federal level.

39. 11)Enable fast track permitting and development for key housing choice projects.
12)Enable zoning encourages a mix of housing types in all new developments.
13)Locate compact, higher density housing in locations where walking biking and transit are
viable options thereby potentially reducing the housing and transportation cost burden.
The explosive growth in Brunswick County over the last ten years has led to large increases in
housing prices and rents while wages and household incomes have been relatively flat
(Brunswick County Housing Assessment, 2007). From 2000 to 2010 the number of households
that are housing cost burdened 22.6% to 80% (U.S. Census, 2010). The lack of affordable
housing has made it difficult for people and private employers to recruit and retain employees.
Projections indicate that if nothing is done, the lack of affordable housing in Brunswick County
will get substantially worse in the coming years. If the county is to remain home to a wide range
of working families, concentrated action to substantially increase the supply of affordable
housing is need and needed before the entire county is built out. The first step is to cast a wide
net and create a strong and vibrant housing coalition with a clear vision addressing these crucial
issues for the future.