Affordable Housing

Our commitment to affordable housing is 50 years strong, starting with the development of our first public housing neighborhood in 1967. Today, we own and manage more than 300 public housing units for residents living on a low income. We serve as a national leader in inclusionary housing, and we're creating innovative approaches to affordable housing.

What is Affordable Housing?

In Chapel Hill, affordable housing is housing that costs no more than 30% of a household’s income. To qualify for subsidized affordable housing, household income typically must fall below 80% of the Area Median Income (AMI), which varies by household size. To qualify for the income restricted (80% or below AMI) homes your income must fall within the chart below.

Family Size 
Income Limit 

 1

  $71,200

 2

   $81,400

 3

    $91,550 

 4

 $101,700

 5

  $109,850 

6

  $118,000

7

   $126,150 

8

   $134,250

Source: HUD 2026 Income Limits

Affordable Housing Report

We set annual targets for affordable housing preservation and development. Our Affordable Housing Report is a tool to monitor our progress towards meeting those targets, share the status of projects funded with Town resources, and summarize key community indicators related to housing Orange County.

Review the FY 2025 Report(PDF, 5MB)

 

Affordable Housing Plan

In September 2023, Council approved an Affordable Housing Plan and Investment Strategy. It outlines four key areas of focus for our affordable housing work over the next several years: 

  • Reduce barriers to building homes
  • Expand and preserve affordable homeownership
  • Expand and preserve affordable rental housing
  • Increase staffing and funding capacity

Read the Plan(PDF, 3MB)

A Brief History of Affordable Housing in Chapel Hill

We began our affordable housing work in the late 1960s by building our first public housing and invested in community development in the Northside and Pine Knolls neighborhoods.

Over the next few decades, we expanded efforts through partnerships, renovations, and new housing policies.

In the 2000s and 2010s, we created funding programs, adopted zoning rules, and launched major strategies to increase affordable housing.

Recently, the we've opened new affordable communities, passed a housing bond, provided emergency assistance during COVID‑19, and approved new developments to keep expanding housing options.

 

Back to top