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HB 914NORTH CAROLINASession 2025State Billin committee

High Impact

North Carolina Requires Municipalities to Allow Affordable Housing on Higher Education and Religious Land

Original title: Higher Ed./Religious Inst. Affordable Housing.

Last action · April 14, 2025: Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House (House action)Sponsors: Aisha Dew and 5 others

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Introduced

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Floor Vote

Passed

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What This Bill Would Do

House Bill 914 requires certain North Carolina municipalities to permit residential development on land owned by independent colleges and religious institutions, provided that at least 80 percent of the units are reserved for low-income residents. The law takes effect on October 1, 2025.

Why it matters

Changes municipal zoning authority by overriding local conditional use requirements for specific private landowners, setting strict affordability thresholds and density bonuses for urban parcels.

Who It Would Affect

Groups the bill's text would affect if enacted, as described in the record. Being affected is not a position for or against it.

Directly affected

independent institutions of higher education

Eligible to develop owned land for residential use by right without requiring zoning amendments or conditional use permits.

Directly affected

religious institutions

Eligible to develop owned land for residential use by right under specific statutory conditions.

Directly affected

low-income residents

Must be reserved at least 80 percent of the housing units created through these institutional developments.

Directly affected

municipalities with a population of greater than 50,000

Required to permit residential development by right on qualifying institutional land regardless of local zoning restrictions.

Key Facts

Applies to municipalities with a population greater than 50,000 designated as an urban area by the United States Census Bureau.
Applies to land owned on or before January 1, 2026, by an independent institution of higher education or a religious institution.
Excludes developments located in local historic districts or on the National Register of Historic Places.
Excludes sites adjoined to light industrial uses or located within 1,200 feet of heavy industrial uses.

Show all 9 facts

Requires at least 80 percent of housing units to be reserved for residents with family incomes at or below 80 percent of the median family income.
Allows up to five percent of units to be reserved for staff or institutional managers.
Permits a density of 40 units per height and one story above maximum height if located in an area not zoned for residential use.
Caps off-street parking requirements at one space per unit and waives parking minimums within half a mile of a transit stop.
Sets the effective date of the act as October 1, 2025.

Frequently Asked Questions

Which properties are eligible for this by-right residential development?

Land owned on or before January 1, 2026, by an independent institution of higher education or a religious institution, provided it is not in a historic district or near heavy or light industrial uses.

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Where This Stands

Currently in committee. The next step in the legislative lifecycle is Floor Vote.

Procedural history

3 actions

Apr 14, 2025House
Ref To Com On Rules, Calendar, and Operations of the House
Apr 14, 2025House
Passed 1st Reading
Apr 10, 2025HouseIntroduced
Filed

Version history

Only one version on file - nothing to compare yet. As later stages (committee substitute, engrossed, enrolled) are captured, the redline appears here.

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