North Carolina’s growing housing crisis has drawn the attention of a new statewide nonprofit aiming to bridge political, geographic, and social divides to push for comprehensive housing solutions.

The North Carolina Housing Table (NCHT) has officially launched with a mission to advocate for “housing solutions that work for everyone.” The group adds another strong voice to the state’s chorus of nonprofits, community organizers, and policy advocates focused on addressing the urgent need for more affordable, accessible housing.

According to a press release, the NCHT represents a collaborative alliance of stakeholders, including community leaders, environmental groups, senior advocates, housing professionals, and business organizations. Their coalition spans the political spectrum—from the left, right, and center—and emphasizes unity around a single, urgent goal: fixing the state’s housing system.

NCHT was founded by Denzel Burnside, a well-known advocate in the space who previously served as executive director of WakeUP Wake County. There, he led policy work and community engagement around affordable housing, public transportation, land use, and environmental sustainability.

“In North Carolina, I believe everything starts with home,” Burnside said in a news release. “Freedom and opportunity depend on where people can live, how they access jobs, and whether they can build a stable future.”

Burnside says that while those goals are essential, they remain out of reach for too many North Carolinians today. He pointed to recent data released in a report commissioned by the NC Chamber Foundation, NC Home Builders Association, and NC REALTORS, titled the “2024 Housing Supply Gap Analysis, State of North Carolina.” The report forecasts a critical shortfall of 764,000 housing units statewide—including 322,000 rental units and 442,000 homes for purchase—needed between 2024 and 2029.

That kind of deficit, Burnside notes, impacts not only low-income families but also working professionals, seniors, young adults, and anyone trying to build a stable life in North Carolina.

“Through smart, equitable, proven policies to create more homes of all shapes and sizes, we can open real pathways to homeownership and upward mobility,” Burnside said. “Our goal is to work diligently at the statewide level to build communities that are accessible, connected, and centered on the needs of North Carolinians.”

To begin building momentum, the NCHT is hosting a virtual launch event titled “Setting the Table: Why Housing Choice Matters in NC,” which will be held on April 15 at 2:00 p.m. The online event will be livestreamed via Zoom and YouTube and will bring together a diverse group of community voices from across the state. Discussions will focus on the key housing challenges currently facing North Carolina and the policy paths ahead in 2025 and beyond.

Registration is free and open to the public through the organization’s website at NCHousingTable.org.

With growing awareness of the housing supply shortage, the NCHT hopes to become a unifying force to push forward meaningful reforms—combining advocacy, data, and community engagement to ensure every North Carolinian has a place to call home.

Originally reported by Greg Childress in NC News Line.