KarunaNews Story

In the most expensive city in North Carolina, affordable housing can be hard to find — and teachers are especially hard hit. Charlotte-Mecklenburg Schools (CMS) is responding with At home in CMS - apartments at below-rate rent, homeownership opportunities for teachers and eventually its own housing development. The district faced nearly 300 vacancies in 2024. In a district-wide survey, half of respondents reported spending more than 50% of their monthly income on mortgage and utilities, with 61% of teachers saying housing may impact whether they continue to work with CMS. The district will partner with developers to rent below-market-rate units to CMS employees at 34 of the most high-need schools. The program will also help employees find existing down payment assistance programs that lead to homeownership. In the future, CMS plans to build a $30 million rental community for educators with close to 100 units.