Complete Community

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In 2021, the Town of Chapel Hill and the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill jointly commissioned a Projected Housing Needs 2020 – 2040 study to assess projected housing needs through 2040. This Study found that:

  • Jobs, not students, are driving the need for additional housing in the Town
  • There has been a lack of diversity in the housing units constructed in the Town. During the 2000s and 2010s, most dwellings units were single-family detached dwellings or large multi-family developments
  • This lack of diversity in housing units fails to meet the needs of many households including seniors, first-time home buyers, families with children, and empty nesters
  • Housing production must increase to prevent the housing-jobs balance from worsening, which translates into approximately 485 dwelling units per year.

As a result of the Projected Housing Needs 2020-2040 study, the Town Council led an initiative to determine a new approach toward housing creation in Chapel Hill. This initiative became the Complete Community Strategy that details how Chapel Hill can grow purposefully to accommodate a variety of housing types and increasing numbers dwelling units through 2040.

The Complete Community Strategy augments the vision in Chapel Hill 2020 and weaves together the various plans that have amended Chapel Hill 2020 since its adoption. With this new amendment, Chapel Hill 2020 will continue to serve as a road map that guides future decisions about how the Town should evolve over time.

Process and Materials

Timeline and Materials

June 14, 2023: Council Meeting

May 10, 2023: Council Meeting

April 19, 2023: Council Meeting

  • Hearing was called for May 10, 2023 to update the Town’s Comprehensive Plan, Chapel Hill 2020, with the Complete Community Strategy.

  • Town Staff presented a summary report of amendment initiatives to Council. 

December 7, 2022: Council Meeting

  • Council approves the Chapel Hill Complete Community Framework and initial pilot projects

  • The three initial projects approved to move forward: 

    • Everywhere to Everywhere Greenways

    • Midtown (short-term) pilot project

    • Parkline (long-term) pilot project

November 30, 2022: Council Meeting

November 2, 2022: Council Meeting

October 7,2022: Council Committee on Economic Sustainability

September 28, 2022: Council Meeting

September 15, 2022: Community presentation(PDF, 3MB)

September 2022: Updated Work Plan(PDF, 1MB)

September 9, 2022: Council Committee on Economic Sustainability

August 18, 2022: Council Committee on Economic Sustainability

June 3, 2022: Council Committee on Economic Sustainability

June 21, 2022: Council Work session 

  • Jennifer Keesmaat makes a presentation on how the team would proceed with the defined plan to help Council consider a future of meeting the need for housing for all people

  • This work plan included two interview rounds with individuals with various interests from the community to talk about this plan to and gain perspective (Input from the first round of interviews(PDF, 149KB), Final input from interviews)(PDF, 201KB).

  • The Team also developed a Capacity Analysis for the future housing growth of Chapel Hill and where it might occur.

  • Steering Committee: Pam Hemminger, Jess Anderson, Tai Huynh, Michael Parker (Elected); Maurice Jones, Colleen Willger, Dwight Bassett (staff)

September 10, 2021: Council Committee on Economic Sustainability

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