The Red Line Commuter Rail Could Be The Key To Solving Housing Affordability

It’s no secret that 113 people are moving to Charlotte daily. According to Doug Ressler with Yardi Matrix, over 14,000 apartments units are coming to Charlotte this year. With a high demand for housing, Charlotte has to pivot and create new strategies to fill the demand. A great way to alleviate the rental housing demand is effective public transportation. The proposed 25-mile Red Line commuter train from Charlotte to Lake Norman could be key to tackling Charlotte’s apartment supply and housing affordability problem.

As someone who lived in Washington, D.C. without a vehicle, I based my housing options on proximity to public transportation. I factored in how long my walk was to a metro station, ticket cost, the train schedule, and most importantly, safety. Taking a train to work everyday allowed me the freedom to live further away from my workplace and earn a living wage. The main reason I didn’t have a car while living in Washington, D.C., was my budget. I strategically lived near a metro stop so I could eliminate an expense and utilize public transportation.

People who qualify for affordable housing use similar strategies when identifying housing. By building a 25-mile commuter train, lower-income residents are given more viable options. The average Charlotte renter pays $1,700.00 a month. Creating an easy commuting option opens the door for affordable housing options outside the city. If the Red Line train comes to fruition, residents will no longer be faced with the dilemma of living in a costly neighborhood with a short commute or living an hour outside the city. They will have more affordable housing options which helps solve Charlotte’s housing affordability issue. While developers consider multi-dimensional housing options, elected officials should consider how to accommodate those housing options near transit lines.

City officials are supportive of the proposed railroad and the economic benefits it would bring. “I’m never going to quit my dialogue with the Red Line,” the mayor said. “I want to get on the train and ride to Charlotte, and I don’t want to sit in traffic in the general purpose lanes. I don’t want to continue to pay the fees that we pay for toll lanes. And I don’t want to have to go on secondary roads.” We don’t disagree.

While the proposed Red Line commuter train has yet to be built, it would be advantageous for developers to get ahead of the curve and prepare for a shift in migration. Charlotte is short about 23,000 affordable housing units to house low-income residents and must look past the city lines for the answer. Adding public transportation to a booming city is the key to helping solve housing affordability.