Affordable housing

Representing the Raleigh Area Land Trust, thanked the council for the housing penny, which helped bring 12 affordable homes to Apex in under four months, with most buyers below 80% AMI and 75% already Apex residents.

Habitat for Humanity of Greater Raleigh's advocacy director urged the council to keep the housing penny, citing 72,000 cost-burdened county households and Apex's new Tingen Road development.

A pastoral advocate for trafficking and domestic abuse survivors said her clients still can't find affordable housing in Apex and are being displaced; asked for landlord grace and collaboration.

Described the affordable housing crisis with NC Housing Coalition data — a 760,000-home gap statewide — and urged more housing types and fresh funding partners beyond the penny tax.

A lifelong Apex resident said low-income housing is the only reason he can still afford to live in his hometown, and asked the town to keep it going.

Urged the council to connect affordable housing with family homelessness, noting 20–30% of homeless people are families, and asked for public-private affordable housing partnerships, emergency housing in western Wake, and zoning flexibility for modular and tiny homes.

Asked the council to keep and raise the one-cent affordable housing tax to 1.5 cents, stop charging $542,000 in housing staff salaries to the housing fund, protect manufactured home communities, and publish a specific action plan for the fund.

Described St. Francis Builds' volunteer home repairs for poor seniors and disabled residents, estimating 250+ Apex homes in dire condition and asking the town to partner on solutions.

Asked the council to prioritize affordable housing funding in the budget, restore the penny-and-a-half housing tax, and pursue plan strategies aggressively.

A Habitat Wake founder said his teacher daughter couldn't afford to live in Apex and urged the town to expand its housing fund to $14 million and preserve affordable housing.