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• Buncombe County is growing tourism while working families are still waiting (new)
• Buncombe County is allowing more density without ensuring affordability (new)
• Buncombe County funds schools without knowing who is being left behind (new)

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Tourism: Buncombe County’s TDA Annual Report highlights Post-Helene tourism recovery and major investments, yet provides little transparency on whether workers, renters, and directly-impacted communities are benefiting. Without these equity measures, County tourism policy risks deepening economic and housing inequities by promoting tourism that may negatively impact more vulnerable residents. We are asking the County to ask about these issues after they receive this year’s report, and to require equity-focused reporting in future TDA presentations, including data on workforce wages, housing impacts, and how tourism investments benefit communities most vulnerable to negative impacts of tourism and disasters.

Housing: Buncombe County’s most recent rezoning request (which we’re referring to by the shorthand “Rogers rezoning”) expands allowable housing types and could help address the housing shortage, but it includes no guarantees that new development will be affordable or accessible to lower-income residents. Without safeguards or monitoring, the County’s action could accelerate displacement rather than promote inclusion. We are proposing a post-rezoning equity monitoring requirement so the County tracks affordability, displacement risks, and community impacts and can intervene if outcomes undermine equity goals.

Education: Buncombe County’s School Funding Agreement preserves stable local funding but lacks transparent data on how the resources divided between City and County schools align with various students’ needs. This makes it difficult for the County to ensure education investments are reducing racial and socioeconomic disparities. We are asking the County to require an annual equity impact summary alongside the agreement so funding decisions are informed by clear data on student need and outcomes.

To skip to our template for taking action on these issues, click here

Check out our Year-End Report for 2025.