Affordable Housing on the 2026 Ballot: What Voters Need to Know
September 28, 2026
Election Day is November 3rd! The 2026 ballot includes several measures that will directly affect affordable housing, including Raleigh’s Affordable Housing Bond and three proposed amendments to the NC state constitution. It's important for voters to understand how each these measures will impact their communities. Read on to learn more and make an informed decision this November!
Candidate Stances on Affordable Housing
This year, voters will choose candidates on the local, state and federal levels. Habitat sent out an Affordable Housing Questionnaire to all local candidates asking for their stance on issues such as displacement prevention and supporting renters. The candidates’ answers will be posted to our website on October 8th.
Raleigh Housing Bond
Raleigh residents will vote on a $101.5 million Affordable Housing Bond that will not increase property taxes.
This measure continues the work started by the 2020 Housing Bond, putting $57.6 million towards affordable housing development and preservation. This includes preserving naturally occurring affordable housing (NOAH) and building new affordable units.
A total of $21.5 million is planned to go towards major project re-development on city-owned sites, such as the old DMV site.
Raleigh plans to use $12 million for the city’s homelessness response, which will support Wake At Home, a public-private partnership coordinated through the Wake Continuum of Care (CoC), to help individuals transition from encampments to permanent housing.
Finally, $10.4 million of the funding will go towards funding homebuyer assistance and preservation for seniors. Part of this funding will go towards downpayment assistance for income-qualified homebuyers. Several Habitat Homeowners have secured funding from Raleigh’s Downpayment Assistance Program to buy a home.
This measure represents a tremendous opportunity to invest in Raleigh's affordable housing infrastructure. Habitat stands in firm support of this Affordable Housing Bond and encourages all Raleigh residents to Vote Yes! Learn more at voteyesraleigh.com.
Property Tax Amendment
The proposed property tax amendment would require legislators to impose a state-wide levy limit on property taxes, meaning local governments across NC would only be able to collect a certain percentage of the total value of all properties in its jurisdiction.
While this may sound like a positive, such a measure would ultimately deprive communities of funds for vital community services such as emergency response, public school teacher salaries and affordable housing initiatives.
The NC Housing Coalition did a retroactive analysis on how a 2% levy limit would have affected property tax bills across the state, using numbers from the most current reappraisals. Their findings showed that the average homeowner would have saved only $84 a year with this limit while, in the case of a 2% levy limit, Wake County, and all the services it provides, would’ve lost $125 million dollars in local funds.
Habitat encourages lawmakers to invest in real property tax relief for homeowners by updating and improving on the 3 existing tax relief programs and support tax assessors at the local level with technical assistance funding.
Learn More
Midterm Briefing: On September 16th Habitat hosted a virtual midterm election call that delved deeper into the issues on the ballot and how they connect to affordable housing. You can watch the 30-minute call here.
Vote Yes! The Citizens Supporting Raleigh Committee, including Habitat Greater Raleigh, recently launched voteyesraleigh.com. The website gives more details on the proposed Affordable Housing and Transportation Bonds.
Dates to Remember
- Voter Registration Deadline: Friday, Oct. 9, 2026 | How to Register
- Early In-Person Voting: Thursday, Oct. 15, 2026–Saturday, Oct. 31, 2026 | Vote Early In Person
- Election Day: Tuesday, Nov. 3 | Vote In Person on Election Day
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