Government Accountability Project of Asheville

Anti-Displacement Approaches in Other NC Counties and Cities

by DavidG | Jan 26, 2026 | Support Documentation | 0 comments

Go Back to the GAP Report on Anti-Displacement

Mecklenburg County / City of Charlotte

What policies exist

The City of Charlotte has adopted one of the most explicit anti-displacement frameworks in North Carolina. In 2021, the City created the Neighborhood Equity and Stabilization (NEST) Commission, tasked with developing strategies to prevent displacement of residents and legacy businesses in rapidly changing neighborhoods. The Commission produced recommendations that were incorporated into the City’s broader Anti-Displacement Strategy, aligned with the Charlotte 2040 Comprehensive Plan.

Key components include:

  • Preservation of affordable rental housing
  • Support for low-income homeowners to remain in place
  • Protections for legacy businesses
  • Community engagement requirements tied to redevelopment
  • Governance and accountability structures

Charlotte and Mecklenburg County have also adopted Source of Income Protections for housing that receives public funding, prohibiting discrimination against tenants who use housing vouchers or other lawful income sources.

When adopted

  • NEST Commission established: 2021
  • Anti-Displacement Strategy integrated into planning and policy: 2022–2024
  • Source of Income Protections adopted: 2022

Results and perspectives

Charlotte’s approach is widely cited as a shift from reactive housing policy toward proactive neighborhood stabilization. City staff and elected officials describe the strategy as a way to ensure redevelopment and infrastructure investments do not undermine housing stability. While displacement pressures remain high, the framework has changed how redevelopment proposals are reviewed and how public funds are prioritized.

Community groups generally view the strategy as a meaningful step forward, while continuing to push for stronger tenant protections and deeper affordability.

Sources

Wake County / City of Raleigh

What policies exist

Wake County does not yet have a single, formal anti-displacement ordinance, but it has adopted targeted displacement-prevention investments shaped by community advocacy.

The most notable example is the Homeowner Care Fund, developed through organizing by ONE Wake and funded by the County to help low-income, long-time homeowners remain in their homes amid rising property values and repair costs. The fund provides financial assistance for home repairs, tax relief, and stabilization needs that commonly trigger displacement.

Wake County and the City of Raleigh also participate in coordinated homelessness prevention and housing stability programs through the Wake Continuum of Care, which function as downstream displacement mitigation tools.

When adopted

  • Homeowner Care Fund development and funding: 2021-2023, with funding proposed in FY2024

Results and perspectives

Advocates describe the Homeowner Care Fund as a concrete acknowledgment by Wake County that displacement pressures are real and preventable. County leaders have framed the fund as a way to help residents stay rooted in their communities as growth accelerates.

While Wake County lacks a comprehensive framework, these investments are often cited as proof of concept that displacement prevention is feasible and politically viable.

Sources

Durham County / City of Durham

What policies exist

Durham has taken a planning-driven approach to displacement prevention.

In 2019, the City adopted the Expanding Housing Choices zoning reform, which legalized accessory dwelling units and other missing-middle housing types citywide. While not labeled solely as anti-displacement policy, this reform is widely understood as a displacement-mitigation tool by increasing housing supply and reducing pressure on existing neighborhoods.

More explicitly, Durham’s Revised Comprehensive Plan (adopted 2023) includes policies that:

  • Call for early identification of displacement risk
  • Require proactive intervention before residents are displaced
  • Emphasize ensuring existing communities benefit from public investments

When adopted

  • Expanding Housing Choices zoning reform: 2019
  • Comprehensive Plan with anti-displacement policies: 2023

Results and perspectives

Durham’s zoning reform has enabled a significant number of new housing projects and is frequently cited nationally as an example of how land-use reform can support housing stability. The Comprehensive Plan’s anti-displacement language has been praised by advocates as a necessary step toward accountability, though implementation and outcome tracking are still emerging.

Local discourse reflects strong community awareness of displacement risks tied to redevelopment and infrastructure investment.

Sources

Key Takeaways for the City of Asheville

  • Asheville’s zoning and land-use authority is central to displacement dynamics, but so are its capital investments, economic development incentives, and transit-oriented development decisions.
  • Durham demonstrates that cities can embed displacement prevention directly into planning, zoning, and capital investment policies without waiting for county or state action.
  • Asheville already articulates strong values around housing stability, equity, and community continuity; an anti-displacement framework would operationalize those values across all major City decisions, not just housing programs.
  • Coordination with Buncombe County is important — but Asheville does not need to wait for the County to act in order to adopt displacement screening and mitigation standards for its own actions.

Net effect: Asheville’s challenge is not authority or intent, but follow-through and consistency.

Key Takeaways for Buncombe County

  • Buncombe County already exercises zoning authority, makes capital investment decisions, and directs economic development strategies — all of which directly shape displacement risk.
  • Peer counties show that anti-displacement policy does not require new powers; it requires using existing authority intentionally and consistently.
  • The absence of a countywide anti-displacement framework means zoning decisions, capital investments, and economic development actions are evaluated in isolation, rather than for their cumulative impact on housing stability.
  • Buncombe County is well-positioned to lead by adopting a framework that applies across departments and decision types, rather than relying on ad hoc responses.

Net effect: Buncombe is not missing tools — it is missing coordination and standards.

Go Back to the GAP Report on Anti-Displacement