The three candidates running to succeed retiring Councilwoman Nancy Hoffmann in District 4 all responded to a News & Record questionnaire asking about where they stand on the housing challenges facing the city.
Early voting for the primary ends on Saturday while the primary day is Tuesday.
Steve Ignac
Do you support City Manager Trey Davis’ plan for adding 10,000 new homes by 2030? Why or why not?
I support the idea of adding more housing because we know affordability is a real challenge in Greensboro, but I think we need to be smart about how we grow.
Building 10,000 new homes sounds good on paper, but if we only focus on rapid growth to attract more people moving here, we could end up facing the same problems larger cities struggle with, traffic congestion, strained schools, and infrastructure that can’t keep up.
My priority is making sure the homes we build are truly affordable for working families and seniors, not just luxury developments.
We also need to balance new construction with protecting the character of our neighborhoods and investing in services like transit, parks and public safety.
Growth can be positive, but it has to be thoughtful and balanced so we don’t create bigger problems down the road.
What specific steps would you take to ensure Greensboro has housing that is affordable for middle-class and working people?
I think the key to affordable housing is making sure new development actually matches what working families and middle-class residents can afford.
I’d push for stronger partnerships with developers who commit to building mixed-income housing, not just high-end units.
The city can also expand incentive programs, like tax credits or reduced permitting fees, to encourage truly affordable projects.
Just as important, we need to preserve the affordable homes we already have by helping longtime residents with repairs and property tax relief so they can stay in their neighborhoods.
Members of the current council have said the city will need to increase density across the board in order to overcome the housing shortage. Do you agree? Why or why not?
I don’t think we need to increase density across the board, because that could disrupt the character of well-established neighborhoods that people have worked hard to build and maintain.
Instead, I believe we should focus on filling in the gaps, like the underused lots and spaces we already have, especially downtown and along key corridors.
This way, we can add housing where it makes sense without overcrowding existing communities. Thoughtful growth like this keeps our neighborhoods strong while still addressing the housing shortage.
Adam Marshall
Do you support City Manager Trey Davis’ plan for adding 10,000 new homes by 2030? Why or why not?
Yes. When I speak to folks on the campaign trail, I talk about having a vision for this city.
This goal proposed by City Manager Davis represents a vision for solving an important need in our community. We need to make bold decisions to solve our housing shortage and other issues facing our community.
What specific steps would you take to ensure Greensboro has housing that is affordable for middle-class and working people?
Step one is to work to increase the supply of housing with a diverse array of housing products.
We can explore leveraging our public and private partnerships by encouraging developers to build housing that is attainable for our citizens.
For example, tax-based incentives or the provision of certain critical infrastructure could be used to encourage developers to invest in opportunity zones, dedicate portions of projects to affordable housing or lower rents, or to invest in redevelopment projects.
The city would see a return on this investment.
The city just announced that they are developing the old Regency Inn site. This is an example of a project that could be duplicated, and I would encourage the city to do just that.
Members of the current council have said the city will need to increase density across the board in order to overcome the housing shortage. Do you agree? Why or why not?
I agree that it will be difficult to increase the supply of housing units without increasing density.
That said, we still have zoning ordinances and a comprehensive plan that are in place to secure smart and sustainable growth patterns.
Nicky Smith
Do you support City Manager Trey Davis’ plan for adding 10,000 new homes by 2030? Why or why not?
Yes, I support the plan.
We have to meet growing demand in Greensboro for homes across various price ranges.
Right now, Greensboro is facing a housing shortage at the same time we are bringing large scale businesses like JetZero into the community.
The growth that we need must be conducted in a way that enhances Greensboro instead of diminishing our best qualities.
I have been very impressed with the transparency the city has fostered by creating the dashboard website that can be utilized to track progress. I think this plan puts us on the right path of being able to meet demand.
I was happy to see that they are paying close attention to conserving historic communities and offering incentives to revitalize homes.
I believe this type of thinking when paired with expanding infrastructure and rezoning areas for housing will allow us to reach the smart type of growth that keeps Greensboro a great place to work, live, and raise a family.
What specific steps would you take to ensure Greensboro has housing that is affordable for middle-class and working people?
This is an availability issue and a bigger issue being proper community planning. We need more houses, but to make the city grow responsibly.
We need long term planning and more focus being put on building neighborhood communities where families feel safe, proud and are excited to live there.
The housing market right now in Greensboro is struggling to keep up, the more availability there is, the better the market is to achieve homeownership.
Members of the current council have said the city will need to increase density across the board in order to overcome the housing shortage. Do you agree? Why or why not?
I don’t believe that density has to increase across the board.
Instead, we can utilize strategic planning in key areas by using the resources that we have to increase density in areas where it makes the most sense while using incentives to revitalize homes and preserve historic communities to increase options in existing neighborhoods.
kevin.griffin@greensboro.com
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