Home Economics

Raleigh is the second fastest growing major metro area in the nation. Businesses and people are moving here because it has earned a reputation for being one of the best places to work and live in the country. But the housing supply has not kept pace with the growth, driving up housing prices and making home ownership and rent more expensive, especially in the downtown area where people have been increasingly wanting to live. That’s led to a shortage of affordable housing and gentrification, which means the displacement of lower income people, usually people of color.

The new WRAL Documentary “Home Economics” looks at Raleigh’s urban growth, the reasons behind it, how it is changing many neighborhoods around downtown and what that means for the people who live there. It examines the cause and effect of gentrification and what people and policymakers can do to reduce its negative impact. It also examines the effect of the pandemic and what it could mean for Raleigh’s revitalized city center, which is driving much of the growth in and around downtown.

Q&A: Raleigh Mayor Mary-Ann Baldwin on growth, housing, gentrification

“Home Economics” is hosted by WRAL News anchor Gerald Owens.