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On WCNC's Flashpoint, the former councilman explains why city leaders are helpless to make transformative change. (WCNC-TV)

‘Rent’s too damn high’ | Former City Councilman says Charlotte is no longer affordable

By Ben Thompson, WCNC-TV
On WCNC’s Flashpoint, the former councilman explains why city leaders are helpless to make transformative change.

Billy Maddalon was Charlotte’s first openly gay city councilman. He briefly served after being appointed to fill a vacancy on the council. He’s now running for the District 1 seat.

“Some of the problems that existed back in 2013 still exist today,” Maddalon said.

Maddalon said affordability is the biggest issue facing Charlotte residents.

Rent has been steadily increasing in Charlotte over the past 12 months. The median rent for a one-bedroom apartment in the Queen City is $1,273 while a two-bedroom is typically at $1,423. Beyond rentals, the exploding Charlotte real estate market has become prohibitively expensive for many first-time homebuyers.

“People in Charlotte just can’t afford to live here anymore, unless you work in a certain socio-economic strata,” Maddalon explained.

Making matters worse, Maddalon said city leaders are limited in how they tackle the increasing cost of living in Charlotte.

“I think the 2040 plan slows it down substantially,” he said. “And my hope is that that’ll give us enough time, maybe one of these days to have statutory authority to actually fix the problem.”

Maddalon said transformative change will involve the cooperation of all levels of government.

“We simply don’t have the statutory capacity, the tools in our toolbox if you will, from the legislature to effectively change the market forces that are driving, driving a lack of affordability in our community,” he said.

Watch more on WCNC-TV.

The Charlotte Journalism Collaborative is supported by the Local Media Project, an initiative launched by the Solutions Journalism Network with support from the Knight Foundation to strengthen and reinvigorate local media ecosystems.

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About The Project

Solutions Journalism Network launched the Charlotte Journalism Collaborative in 2019, a partnership of six major media companies and other local institutions focusing on issues of major importance to the Charlotte region. The collaborative is supported by $150,000 from the John S. and James L. Knight Foundation, as part of its $300 million commitment to rebuild the future of local journalism, essential to a functioning democracy.

The Charlotte Journalism Collaborative (CJC) is modeled on the Solutions Journalism Network method of investigating and reporting news with a primary focus on solutions to community problems. “At a time when local journalism jobs are disappearing and trust in media has hit an all-time low, the Solutions Journalism Network has taken on the challenge by organizing collaborative journalism reporting projects that promote excellent reporting and civic dialogue. the model has the potential to be part of a new wave of great local reporting, which is vital to building strong communities,” said Karen Rundlet, Knight Foundation director for journalism.

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