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    LATEST NEWS

    Asheville City Council Makes Big Changes to Support Housing!

    March 14, 2025
    Council approved 5 significant changes to Asheville’s development rules on Tuesday, March 11. In addition to supporting the three amendments that make it easier to build housing in commercial districts…
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    Tell Asheville City Council to Support Housing on Main Bus Routes!

    February 5, 2025
    When we build homes located near things like grocery stores, schools, restaurants, and bus routes, people have more options for how they get around and are able to spend less…
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    How to make finding a home less like losing at musical chairs

    January 8, 2025
    Are you interested in making homes more accessible for our friends, neighbors, and the next generation? We are too! While there are many different factors that impact home prices, one…
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    “There is Unrest in the Urban Forest” — Why We Need to Rethink How Cities and Nature Interact

    December 17, 2024
    A recent piece by Daniel Herriges in Strong Towns, titled “There is Unrest in the Urban Forest,” takes a deep dive into how poorly planned urban growth puts unnecessary strain…
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    Jerusalem Demsas: How the US made affordable homes illegal

    December 17, 2024
    If you care about affordable housing, the environment, or the future of your community, you won’t want to miss this video by Jerusalem Demsas of Vox. In her clear and…
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    Bill McKibben on Why Progressives Need to Say “Yes” to Housing and Clean Energy

    December 17, 2024
    In this Mother Jones article, climate leader and author Bill McKibben tackles a tough truth: if we’re serious about addressing climate change and building more just communities, progressives must learn…
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    Why Urbanism Matters for Climate Action

    December 17, 2024
    When we think about tackling climate change, we often focus on big solutions—transitioning to renewable energy, electrifying cars, or protecting forests. But as The Urbanist argues in a recent article,…
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    Better Land Use: A Key Climate Solution We Can’t Afford to Ignore

    December 17, 2024
    A recent analysis by Rocky Mountain Institute (RMI) makes a compelling case for why state-level land-use reform should be a top climate priority for America. As the report highlights, land-use…
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    Building Back Smarter: Susan Bean on Missing Middle Housing Post-Hurricane Helene

    December 17, 2024
    We’re excited to share that MountainTrue’s Director of Housing and Transportation, Susan Bean, recently had an opinion piece published in the Asheville Citizen-Times. In it, Susan highlights how Asheville and…
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    Support an Eviction Moratorium and Boost Housing Aid for Helene Survivors

    November 4, 2024
    Urge Gov. Cooper to halt evictions and increase housing aid for Helene survivors. With a worsening housing shortage and incomes impacted by the storm, more families face displacement. Ask the Governor to protect stable housing with an eviction moratorium and added rental assistance.
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    RESOURCES

    Welcome Neighbors: A climate conscious invitation — Susan Bean
    PechaKucha Night Asheville, February 16, 2024

    How the US made affordable homes illegal
    Vox on YouTube, August 16, 2021
    Vox provides this video explainer about how exclusionary zoning has created a housing shortage that affects everyone.

    Yes in Our Backyards. It's time progressives like me learned to love the green building boom.
    Mother Jones, April, 2023
    Bill McKibben writes on the need to see our backyards as global and to be open to sharing our space with new neighbors.

    There is Unrest in the Urban Forest
    Strong Towns, January 12, 2022
    This article from StrongTowns explains how the tension between tree preservationists and pro-housing advocates represents a false choice between trees and homes.

    Housing Needs Assessment 2021 for Western North Carolina
    Bowen National Research Report for Dogwood Health Trust, 2021
    A housing needs assessment for the 18 counties and the Qualla Boundary tribal trust land within Western North Carolina.

    Building More and Doing Better
    Sierra Club website, January 31, 2019
    Michael Brune, former Sierra Club Executive Director, on why building dense housing is good for the environment.

    Urban Land Use Reform
    Rocky Mountain Institute, 2023
    This report from international climate experts, the Rocky Mountain Institute, lays out a case for why more dense housing and commercial development is one of the most effective ways to mitigate climate change.