Nags head Housing Shortage

Is there a housing shortage in Nags Head NC?

According to various sources, Nags Head and the Outer Banks region are facing a serious challenge of affordable housing for both residents and workers. The median sale price of a home in Nags Head was $703K in June 2023, down 13.5% since last year, but still 67% higher than the national average . A survey conducted by Public Policy Polling in May 2022 found that 59% of North Carolinians agreed that affordable housing is a major problem in their communities, and 48% said state leaders should intervene to help alleviate the shortages . The problem is exacerbated by the lack of rental housing for seasonal workers, many of whom come from overseas and are unable to get visas due to the pandemic . The Outer Banks Chamber of Commerce has been advocating for more housing options and incentives for developers and employers to address the issue .

The Nags Head housing shortage is a pressing issue that affects the essential workforce and the community as a whole. Several options have been considered and or shot down by the town commissioners, the county commissioners and the public. One option is to develop 54 units of multi-family housing on a vacant lot at 100 E. Hollowell Street, proposed by Woda Cooper Companies, a private developer that has a memorandum of agreement with Dare County. This option has faced opposition from some neighbors who claim that it does not fit the character of the area and that it would have negative impacts on property values, traffic, public services and infrastructure. The town commissioners approved a moratorium on building in the C-2 General Commercial Zoning District, where the lot is located, for up to 150 days to review the zoning map and its consistency with the town's Comprehensive Land Use Plan. Another option is to develop another site in Manteo, referred to as the Bowsertown Road property, also proposed by Woda Cooper Companies. This option has not faced as much opposition as the Nags Head site, but it still needs to go through the approval process and secure funding from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. A third option is to find other sites for essential housing development, which is what Coastal Affordable Housing LLC, another private developer that has a pre-development agreement with Dare County, is trying to do. However, finding suitable and affordable sites in Nags Head and other parts of the county is challenging due to the high demand and low supply of land.