More Homes, More Choices

Raleigh Rising is a consumer education campaign about housing in Wake County. We share real data, real stories, and real resources so that residents, not just insiders, can understand and take part in the decisions shaping what housing costs and where it gets built. It's run by the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS® and supported by the National Association of REALTORS® Consumer Advocacy Outreach program.

Raleigh is one of the fastest-growing regions in the country, and too many of the people who make this community work, teachers, nurses, first responders, service workers, are getting priced out. Wake County polling we commissioned found that 76% of residents call housing affordability a big problem. Most housing decisions happen in public meetings that few people attend, using language most people never learned. We built Raleigh Rising to change that.

More homes and more choices. We believe Wake County needs a wider range of housing, from starter homes and townhomes to apartments and accessory dwelling units, so that families at different incomes and life stages can afford to live here. We support adding homes thoughtfully while protecting the neighborhoods and residents already here.

No. Raleigh Rising is nonpartisan. We do not support or oppose any candidate for any office, and we don't get involved in elections. Our focus is on the issue of housing and on helping residents advocate for themselves, whoever they vote for.

It's a fair question. Yes, REALTORS® care about a healthy housing market, but so does anyone who wants to buy a first home, keep their rent affordable, or stay in the neighborhood they love. The affordability crisis hurts the whole community, and the solutions we talk about, more supply and more housing choices, benefit residents far more than they benefit any single industry. We put the data out in the open so you can judge the arguments for yourself.

It's the range of home types between a single detached house and a large apartment building: duplexes, triplexes, townhomes, cottage courts, and small apartment buildings. These were common in American neighborhoods a century ago, were zoned out for decades, and are now being brought back as a gentle way to add homes without changing the whole character of a street.

This is the concern we hear most, and it deserves a real answer. Adding homes doesn't have to mean high-rises on every corner. Much of what we support is modest: a townhome row, a backyard cottage, a small building near transit. Places like North Hills show that density and established neighborhoods can sit side by side, and that adding housing can actually raise nearby home values while giving people more options. We also believe residents should be at the table shaping how growth happens in their area, which is what our advocacy tools help you do.

Both dynamics are real, which is why it matters how growth is done. The evidence, including the City of Raleigh's own Dix Edge Area Study, points to added supply relieving displacement pressure: when there aren't enough homes, higher earners bid up the older, cheaper houses that longtime residents depend on. More homes at more price points gives everyone somewhere to go. We support pairing new supply with protections for the residents already in a neighborhood.

Yes, and more than you'd think. Local housing decisions are often made by a handful of votes, and the people who show up, send an email, or speak for two minutes at a hearing genuinely shape the outcome. You don't need to be a planner or a policy wonk. You need your address, a few minutes, and your own honest experience. Our free advocacy guide walks you through exactly how.

Start by signing up for updates. Come to one of our community town halls this fall. Download the advocacy toolkit for email templates, phone scripts, and plain-language explanations of how housing decisions get made. And if housing costs have shaped your life or your family's plans, share your story with us, personal stories change minds more than any statistic.

The campaign is an initiative of the Raleigh Regional Association of REALTORS®, supported by a Consumer Advocacy Outreach grant from the National Association of REALTORS®. We're upfront about that because trust matters: we'd rather show you the data and let you reach your own conclusions than ask you to take anything on faith.