OUTER BANKS, N.C. — The living situation is a daily thought for many full-time residents in the Outer Banks. Amid the housing crisis, the Dare County Housing Task Force has been working to find solutions.
A recent housing survey, first reported by Outer Banks Insider, showed second homeowners are against any scale of workforce housing.
“I’ve lived on the Outer Banks for 12 years, and I’ve moved during those 12 years nine times,” said Stuart Laird, a local resident in the Outer Banks.
For Laird and many full-time residents in the Outer Banks, housing is a struggle. Right now, he’s thankful that his employer provides the roof over his head.
“I’ve been ‘Forest Gumping’ my way through my life here on the Outer Banks, just getting lucky to have a place to live and to have employment,” said Laird.
A recent survey conducted by East Carolina University showed that second homeowners, meaning people who don’t live here full-time or rent their properties out, are not in support of any workforce housing in the Outer Banks. Something Housing Task Force Chair Donna Creef said needs to change.
Finding a place to live is hard to navigate through rising costs and availability. Laird understands the financial aspect of it for a second homeowner.
“If I own property here, and I could rent a house for $5,000 to $10,000 a week, why would I rent to a local worker who can only afford to pay $1,000 to $2,000 a month?” said Laird.
Jesse Costin was born and raised here. Now owning a home in Southern Shores and renting out the property in Nags Head, where he used to live.
“I knew I’d be able to rent out my old place, whether it was year-round or Airbnb. I chose year-round because there’s not many available, and I had good renters. But I knew that even if construction was slow, my bills would be paid. My mortgage paid,” said Costin.
Costin understands both sides of the housing crisis. He feels another issue is contributing.
“Just my personal perspective is, I feel strongly that people need to earn a living wage. People need to be paid a living wage to be able to live here, just like anywhere desirable,” said Costin.
Costin feels there are plenty of current businesses doing that here, and he and Laird both applaud the businesses leading the way in providing employee housing. Jesse feels that, for now, the Outer Banks is doing okay.
“I think the Outer Banks is doing just fine. You know, people are always going to talk about it, just like other topics that are polarizing. The family-run places seem to be doing really well here, and I think that speaks for itself,” said Costin.
For Laird, he is holding onto the hope that things will change.
“There needs to be a meeting of the minds between the people that employ people and the people that house them. If those two groups got together and try to resolve these issues, maybe then there could be progress, or some would be willing to accept a smaller profit in order to fill the void between employment and housing,” said Laird.
But he also feels the housing carousel he goes through each year has become just a part of living here.
“I’m kind of resigned to that, and I don’t want to go anywhere else. As long as you can rent your house and open your store every day and you got staffing in there, then I don’t see much hope of things changing dramatically,” said Laird.