THIS IS A PRODUCTION OF PBS CHARLOTTE.

>> THIS WEEK ON "OFF THE RECORD" , VIOLENT CRIME IS DOWN AND CHARLOTTE.

POLICE SAY VIOLENT CRIME SCENES ARE STILL A PRIOR -- PROBLEM.

HOMELESSNESS IS UP LIKE A LOT O OTHER PROBLEMS, COVID IS ONLY MAKING IT WORSE.

WE WILL TAKE A LOOK AT THAT NUMBERS.

STUDENT ENROLLMENT IS ALSO OF COMPARED TO LAST YEAR.

THAT IS MUCH AS EXPECTED.

AND COVID CASES ARE DROPPING.

THE HEALTH DIRECTOR SAYS THAT I NOT A COINCIDENCE.

PLUS CITY HALL IS ROLLING OUT NEW ZONING RULES FROM THE 24 TO PLANET JUST LIKE THE PLAN ITSELF , NOT EVERYBODY LIKES WHAT THEY SEE.

LOTS TO TALK ABOUT NEXT ON PBS CHARLOTTE.

FROM OUR PBS SHOW STUDIOS, I'M JEFF SONIER.

WE ARE "OFF THE RECORD", TALKIN ABOUT STORIES THAT YOU BEEN TALKING ABOUT THIS WEEK.

IF YOU WATCH AND LISTEN TO THE NEWS, YOU WILL RECOGNIZE THE NAMES AND FACES AT THE TABLE.

YOU CAN ALSO JOIN THE CONVERSATION AT HOME.

JUST E-MAILS OR QUESTIONS AND COMMENTS TO OFF THE RECORD AT WTVR.org.

CRIME THIS WEEK, THE POLICE DEPARTMENT UPDATED US ON THE STATE OF AFFAIRS.

AND, MARK, I KNOW YOU WHERE THE ARE TO SPEAK WHEN THE STATS WER RELEASED FOR THE QUARTER AND WE ARE STARTING TO GET MORE GOOD NEWS WHEN IT COMES TO CHARLOTTE VIOLENCE.

>> I COULDN'T HELP BUT BE STRUC BY THE PARALLELS WITH OUR COVID AND OTHER PANDEMICS.

THE NUMBERS ARE GOING DOWN GRADUALLY.

OVERALL DOWN 4%.

BY THE CRIME DOWN 4%.

THE BIG NUMBERS THAT EVERYBODY LIKES THAT.

HOMICIDE DOWN 18%.

THE BROAD NUMBER THERE IS ABOUT 10.

FEWER THAN LAST YEAR.

I'M ROBBERY IS DOWN.

THAT IS GOOD NEWS.

LET'S PUT IT IN CONTEXT.

LAST YEAR WAS OFF THE CHARTS FO HOMICIDES.

IF NOT A RECORD, VERY CLOSE.

THERE IS NOWHERE TO GO, WE WOUL HOPE THERE WAS NOWHERE TO GO BU DOWN.

SO THIS IS GOOD NEWS.

I GET GUARDED OPTIMISM WOULD BE A WAY TO LOOK AT IT.

IT COULD BE A WHOLE LOT BETTER, BUT IT COULD BE WORSE.

SO WE ARE STARTING THE RIGHT DIRECTION, BUT BOTTOM LINE, THINK WERE GOING TO HAVE TO SEE THIS TREND TO CONTINUE PROBABLY FOR THE NEXT YEAR OR SO BEFORE WE CAN SAY WE ARE MAKING SOME REAL PROGRESS.

POLICE ARE HAPPIER.

THEY'RE GLAD TO SEE THE NUMBERS GOING DOWN.

AND IT IS GOOD NEWS.

LET'S JUST HOLD ON.

>> ELI?

>> YES, I THINK THAT PERSPECTIV IS IMPORTANT.

THERE WERE CATEGORIES THAT INCREASED UNFORTUNATELY.

I THINK SEXUAL ASSAULT INCREASE 17% AND AGGRAVATED ASSAULTS WER UP SLIGHTLY 2%.

YOU KNOW, OVERALL THE HOMICIDE NUMBER CAN BE VERY FLUKY.

LAST YEAR THERE WAS THAT TERRIBLE QUADRUPLE KILLING OFF BABY ROAD.

AND SOMETHING LIKE THAT VERSUS THE NUMBER THAT JUMPED BY FOUR TOTAL NUMBERS AND REALLY SKEWS THINGS THAT I ALSO THINK IT IS IMPORTANT AS WE TALK ABOUT THIS CRIME, THINGS LIKE THE CRIME RATE ON THE HOMICIDE RATE OVERALL IN CHARLOTTE TO NOTE THAT THE BURDEN DOES NOT FALL EQUALLY OMINOUS.

IF YOU LOOK AT A MAP OF WHERE THE HOMICIDES OCCUR, THERE IS THE SAME OWN WEDGE PATTERN FOR THOSE PEOPLE WHO LIVE IN THE WEDGE OF SELFIE CHARLOTTE.

REALLY JUST VERY FEW.

THERE ARE NEIGHBORHOODS WHERE THERE ARE KILLINGS CLUSTERED HALF-DOZEN SO WE CAN TALK ABOUT THESE OVERALL NUMBERS, BUT EVEN THE OVERALL NUMBER GOES DOWN, THERE ARE MANY PLACES IN CHARLOTTE THAT CONTINUE TO FEEL THIS BURDEN AND ARE NOT SEEING LET UP IN CRIME AND VIOLENCE AN THAT IS NOT -- THAT'S AND IN EQUITY IN OUR CITY .

>> I THINK THE POVERTY AND THE ECONOMIC FACTORS, IT'S A GOOD THING THAT IS GONE DOWN QUITE A BIT BUT THE TRENDS OF THAT GOT AWAY AND IN FACT YOU HAVE TO REMEMBER LAST YEAR IT WAS THE PANDEMIC THAT MADE ALL THOSE THINGS -- AND HUGE ECONOMIC CONSEQUENCES.

SO WE STILL HAVE A LOT OF WORK TO DO.

>> GO AHEAD, MARK.

GO AHEAD.

>> I WAS GOING TO SAY ONE OF TH THINGS THAT THEY HIGHLIGHTED AN SHE TALKED ABOUT IN TERMS OF TH UNDERLYING THINGS GOING AWAY AN THE THINGS THAT THERE WILL BE FOCUSING ON IS THE NUMBER OF GUNS THAT THEY'VE TAKEN OFF THE STREET.

THE NUMBER OF GUNS THEY'VE GOT TRY TO LIMIT GUN VIOLENCE AND THEY DID SEE SOME POSITIVE STEP IN THAT DIRECTION.

LET'S HOPE THAT IS MORE OF THE CAUSING OF THE SYMPTOMS AS THEY CAN GET TO THE ROOT OF IT AND GET SOME OF THOSE GUNS OUT OF THE HANDS PARTICULARLY OF YOUNG PEOPLE.

THAT IS A POSITIVE THAT THEY SE IN THAT THEY ARE GOING AFTER.

>> I THINK THAT THEY ARE ALSO HAVE BEEN JUST BEEN SOME REALLY TERRIBLE, HIGH-PROFILE SHOOTING THIS YEAR THAT HOMICIDE UP THE THREE-YEAR-OLD BOY IN BED AT HOME CONTINUES JUST TO BE REALL HEART WRENCHING.

I HAVE A THREE-YEAR-OLD MYSELF AND IT IS UNIMAGINABLE.

AND UNTIL WE SEE THAT KIND OF VIOLENCE ADDRESSED WHERE -- THEY HAD A REPORT OF SHOOTING INTO OCCUPIED HOMES BEING UP AN BEING DRASTICALLY UP LAST YEAR AND CONTINUING THIS YEAR.

IT IS STILL KIND OF REALLY HIGH PROFILE AND SENSELESS THINGS THAT I THINK CONTINUE TO DRIVE PEOPLE'S PERCEPTION AS MUCH MOR THAN THE OVERALL NUMBER.

SO I THINK IT IS A PERCEPTION ISSUE.

>> THE OTHER THING THAT I THOUGHT WAS INTERESTING COMING YOU TALKED ABOUT HOW COVID IS EVIDENT AND LAST YEAR'S NUMBERS AND COMING OUT OF COVID PERHAPS HAD AN IMPACT ON THE MOST RECEN NUMBERS.

I THINK AS WE GET BACK TO NORMAL , HE THOUGHT THERE WAS SOME SORT OF A CONNECTION BETWEEN THE DROP IN SOME OF THE SERIOUS AND VIOLENT CRIME.

IT'S ALSO INTERESTING SCHOOL G THAT AMONG YOUNG PEOPLE TO GETTING BACK TO NORMAL, GETTING BACK IN THE CLASSROOM IS KIND O SPARKED MORE VIOLENCE BACK AND FORTH BETWEEN THE SCHOOLS AND THE CAMPUSES AND THE NEIGHBORHOODS.

SO I GUESS COVID HELPS IN SOME WAYS AND HURTS AND OTHERS.

YOU WANT TO WRAP THIS UP?

>> I THINK WE TALKED ABOUT YOUN PEOPLE.

THERE WAS A CASE JUST LAST WEEK WERE AT THEIR PRESENT 18 IN THE 17-YEAR-OLD CHARGED WITH KILLIN A 19-YEAR-OLD.

AND THAT IS ONE OF THE THINGS THAT THEY'RE TALKING ABOUT.

WRAPS AROUND THE SCHOOL AND IT STARTS WITH ARGUMENTS IN SCHOOL AND ENDS WITH A SHOOTING IN THE SCHOOL UP.

SO TALKING ABOUT GETTING KIDS INVOLVED, GETTING KIDS OUT OUT OF THE VIOLENCE EQUATION IS ONE OF THE FOCUS IS WHERE THE THEY ARE WORKING ON IT.

AND LET'S HOPE THAT WORKS.

>> JUST DRIVE HOME THE POINT MADE EARLIER, WHEN VIOLENT CRIM IS DOWN, 3-4% AND PARTICULAR HOMICIDE DOWN FROM LAST YEAR, WE'RE TALKING ABOUT ALMOST RECORD-SETTING HERE, 121 HOMICIDES IN 2020 AND THAT WAS ONE SHY OF THE ALL-TIME RECORD, WHICH DATES BACK TO 1993.

SO WHEN YOU'RE DOWN A LITTLE COMIC IF YOU WILL TAKE THE SMAL VICTORY AND HOPE FOR BETTER AND MORE IMPROVEMENT GOING FORWARD.

INTERESTING.

I WANT TO TALK ABOUT ANOTHER REPORT THE CAME OUT THIS WEEK, NOT FROM THE POLICE DEPARTMENT BUT FROM THE COUNTY REGARDING HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THE REPORT CAME OUT THURSDAY AN KIND OF TOLD US WHAT WE ALREADY KNEW ABOUT HOMELESSNESS AND AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

THE URBAN INSTITUTE WAS INSTRUMENTAL IN PUTTING THESE NUMBERS TOGETHER.

YOU WANT TO TAKE US DOWN THE ROAD AND SHOW US WHAT THE NUMBERS SHOW WAS QUITE.

>> THIS IS THE ANNUAL REPORT THAT MECKLENBURG COUNTY AND IN STUDENT HAVE PARTNERED TO DETAIL .

HOMELESSNESS AND INSTABILITY, HOUSING INSTABILITY IS BASICALL PEOPLE WHO ARE HAVING TROUBLE AFFORDING THEIR HOUSE AND WHO ARE PAYING TOO MUCH YOU MIGHT LEAVE THEIR HOME IN THE NEAR FUTURE.

WHAT WE FOUND IN THIS REPORT IS THAT THE PANDEMIC HAS EXACERBATED WE KNEW AS ALREADY HOUSING CRISIS, BASICALLY A LOT OF THINGS ARE COMING TOGETHER HERE.

KEEP UP THE LOW SUPPLY OF HOUSING AND THE POPULATION GROWTH AND THEN THE PANDEMIC ON TOP OF THAT, THAT MADE A LOT OF PEOPLE, ESPECIALLY IN VULNERABL AREAS LIKE LOWER INCOME SURPLUS WORKERS USE THEIR EMPLOYMENT FO A LONG TIME PRETTY GOT A BUNCH OF TRENDS COLLIDED HERE.

GOT IF THE 55% INCREASE IN THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE EXPERIENCING HOMELESSNESS OVER LAST YEAR AND OVER 3100.

THAT'S AN ESTIMATED 28,000 MECKLENBURG COUNTY HOUSES AND THAT ON AVERAGE OF ABOUT ALMOST $3,600.

SO THAT IS A LOT FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE ALREADY LOW INCOME AS A WHOLE AND ALL THOSE 28,000 HOUSEHOLDS, THEY ARE AT RISK AN IT IS A BIG PROBLEM THAT WE'VE HAD FOR A LONG TIME IN THIS COMMUNITY AND LAST YEAR IS ONLY MADE IT WORSE.

>> WE'VE BEEN WRITING ABOUT HOMELESSNESS ON A REGULAR BASIS.

YOU REPORT THE REPORT THIS WEEK.

WHAT YOUR THOUGHTS ON WHAT THIS TELLS US AND WHERE WE ARE HEADE ON THIS?

>> I THINK THE OTHER THING THAT I MENTIONED ABOUT THE IMPACT OF THE PANDEMIC IS THAT -- IT HAS OUTPACED WAGES HERE.

I THINK IT IS 160 ON THE MINIMU WAGE.

BUT EVEN WITH OTHER PROFESSIONS LIKE FIREFIGHTERS AND ALL THESE PROFESSIONS -- I THINK ANOTHER PIECE THAT IS TRUE IS TO SHOWING HOW THERE PUTTING ALL THIS MONEY INTO -- SHOW HOW MUCH THE PROBLEM IS CORRECT YOU CAN PUT ALL OF THIS ASSESSMENT THAT THE CITY IS TAKING A BIG IT'S GOING TO BE A CHALLENGE BUT IT IS TO HAVE AT ONE OF THE BIGGEST ISSUES AT TH BALLOT BUCKS.

IT'S NOT GOING AWAY ANYTIME SOON .

>> AND A LOT OF THE REPORTED IN THE PAST, A LOT OF ATTENTION IN THE PAST AND HOUSING, AFFORDABL HOUSING HAS BEEN ON THE POOREST OF THE POOR.

BUT THIS REPORT TELLS US, WHAT YOU WRITE ABOUT IS THE POOREST OF THE POOR ARE THE ONLY ONES BEING AFFECTED BY THIS PROBLEM.

AS YOU MENTIONED, CUPS AND NURSES AND WHAT WE PUT CONSIDER A DECENT WAY BUT NOT ENOUGH TO REALLY FIND THE KIND OF HOUSING THAT THOSE FOLKS DESERVE AN UP TO BE ABLE TO FIND IN THIS TOWN.

>> I THINK WHEN YOU TALK ABOUT LOW-INCOME HOUSING PEOPLE THAT THINK, OKAY, MAYBE THAT IS WHO IS WORKING AND THE BLOOD DISABILITY AND PEOPLE THAT HAVE MENTAL IMAGE.

THERE IS A BIG PROBLEM THERE.

THERE'S 23,000 UNIT SHORTAGE ON HOUSING FOR PEOPLE WHO ARE AT THE LOWEST INCOME, BUT WE ALSO FOUND IS THERE IS A LOT OF PEOPLE WHO ARE IN THAT NOT LOW INCOME BUT NOT VERY WEALTHY BUMPY CATEGORY WHO ARE HAVING T STRETCH THEMSELVES.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO ARE SPENDING, YOU KNOW, 40-50% OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING AND THA PUTS YOU A MUCH HIGHER RISK OF LOSING YOUR HOUSING AND SOMETHING GOES WRONG COME IF YO GET AN ILLNESS, IF YOU HAVE A JOB LOSS, AND THAT IS REALLY WHERE WE SEE A LOT OF THE PIPELINE OF PEOPLE WHO END UP LOSING A HOUSE, HAVING TO STAY WITH FRIENDS, MAYBE HAVING TO G TO A SHELTER AND THE NUMBER OF PEOPLE WHO ARE KIND OF BEING PUSHED AND STRETCHED A LITTLE A A TIME IN A LITTLE AT A TIME AN A LITTLE OUT OF TIME.

IT JUST MAKES THE PROBLEM WORSE.

>> FROM THE STUDY COMMITS MORE THAN 120,000 SHALL MECKLENBURG SHOUT MECKLENBURG PRINTER IN ORDER HOUSEHOLDS ARE SPENDING MORE ON HOUSES THAN HIS AFFORDABLE.

123,000.

THAT IS NOT A SMALL PROBLEM, AN ISOLATED PROBLEM.

THAT IS CUSTODIAN.

THAT IS GAS STORY IN.

IS DEFINED AS A THIRD OF YOUR INCOME IN RENT.

SO.

[INDISCERNIBLE] THOUSAND A THOUSAND TIMES AND, YES, 83,000 RESIDENTS AND THEN WE PUT GET PEOPLE AND THAT'S ABOUT SPENDING 50% OF THEIR INCOME ON HOUSING.

THAN 50% MORE THAT INCOME ON HOUSING.

THAT IS UNSUSTAINABLE.

>> MARK?

>> JUST A COUPLE OF FACTS.

I'M NOT GOING TO SPEAK SPECIFICALLY, BUT IN GENERAL TERMS I DON'T THINK THIS IS JUS THAT CHARLOTTE OR NORTH CAROLIN PROBLEM.

WE'VE TRAVELED LITTLE BIT AND FOR TALKING ABOUT PEOPLE ON ON THE STREET.

THAT NUMBERS UP.

THAT'S IT YOU GUYS ARE TALKING ABOUT, GUYS WERE ONE OR TWO STEPS ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THAT ALMOST THERE.

THOSE ARE THE ONES THAT WE ARE TALKING ABOUT AND, YOU KNOW, THERE'S ALMOST AN ABYSS FULL POPULATION BECAUSE THEY APPEAR TO BE DOING FINE BUT THEY MAY NOT BE.

AND THE OTHER THING THAT I THIN THAT WE NEED TO BE AWARE OF ASHLEY AND INTERNATIONALLY IS INFLATION.

GAS PRICES GOING UP.

EVEN IF YOUR HOUSING COST DON'T GO UP, YOU'VE GOT.

YOU KNOW, SO IT'S GOING TO BE A LOT MORE PEOPLE TRANSITIONING FROM THAT INVISIBLE POPULATION, THE POPULATION WE DO SEE.

YOU KNOW, HOMELESSNESS AND HOUSING AFFORDABILITY ARE KIND OF HAND-IN-HAND PROBLEMS AND I KNOW THAT GOT SO MUCH ATTENTION.

THE COUNTIES HAVE A PLAN TO PUT THOSE FOLKS THAT WORK IN THAT TENT CITY ENCAMPMENT INTO PERMANENT HOUSING ULTIMATELY.

YOU BROUGHT THIS WEEK THAT THAT PLANE REALLY ISN'T WORKING AND OTHERS, THE AWKWARD COURT RULED THAT ARE NOT BEING INVITED TO SERVE.

LET'S TALK ABOUT THE EFFECTIVENESS UP FOR THE COUNTY IS DOING NOW VERSUS THE OTHER OPTIONS ON THE TABLE.

>> I THINK THEY'RE DIFFERENT VIEWPOINTS ON HOW THE COUNTY HANDLED THE SITUATION.

ABOUT 20 FOR TWO PEOPLE IN HOTELS AND HAVE BEEN BASED IN PERMANENT HOUSING.

AND.

[INDISCERNIBLE] IT IS REALLY DIFFICULT TO FIND HOUSING.

IT'S OBVIOUS THAT IF YOU'RE -- WE ARE DOING THE BEST WE CAN.

[INDISCERNIBLE] THEY COULD BE DOING A BETTER JOB .

HE HAS HIS PEOPLE AND A HOTEL TEMPORARILY.

HE IS SEEING ABOUT 60% OF THE PEOPLE THAT HE HELPS THAT HAS GONE INTO PERMANENT HOUSING.

AND SO BASICALLY THE COMPANY APPROACHED HIM AND THEN DECIDE NOT TO WORK WITH THE PROGRAM, S HE FEELS LIKE HE COULD HELP PEOPLE AND THE COUNTY.

>> I WANT TO JUST FOLLOW UP ON ONE LESS THING AT THIS DISCUSSION OF HOUSING HOMELESSNESS.

WE ARE COMING OUT OF COVID AND THAT MEANS THAT THERE IS FUNDIN AVAILABLE THAT MIGHT NOT NORMALLY BE THERE TO ADDRESS PROBLEMS THAT MIGHT NOT NORMALL BE THERE BECAUSE OF COVID.

WE HAVE AN OPPORTUNITY HERE AND I KNOW THE REPORT AS WELL, THERE'S AN OPPORTUNITY AND THEN MAYBE WE CAN MAKE SOME MEANINGFUL PROGRESS.

ANY THOUGHT ON WHY THAT CAN OR CAN'T HAPPEN AND THE MOTIVATION FOR THAT HAPPENED.

THE OPPORTUNITY OF FUNDING AS THEY ARE.

>> YES, YOU KNOW, I THINK THE SKILL OF THE PROBLEM DEFINITELY DEMANDS MORE RESOURCES.

SEEM THE HOUSING TRUST FUND BOND , WHICH FUNDS AFFORDABLE HOUSING CONSTRUCTION IN CHARLOTTE INCREASED.

THAT WAS A FEW YEARS AGO.

WE STILL HAVE A 22,000 UNIT GAP FOR AFFORDABLE HOUSING.

SO THE SCALE OF THE PROBLEM IS SO BIG THAT IT'S REALLY GOING T TAKE A LOT OF RESOURCES.

THERE'S ALSO AN ARGUMENT THAT MAYBE WE WILL TOUCH ON WHAT WE TALK ABOUT THE UNIFIED DEVELOPMENT ORDINANCE THAT THE PRIVATE SECTOR NEEDS TO BE UNLEASHED FORM ALL THE MORE HOUSING MORE QUICKLY WITHOUT REGULATION.

AND I THINK ULTIMATELY THIS COMES DOWN TO IN LARGE PART THE AVAILABILITY OF HOUSING AND WEN OUR HOUSING INVENTORY IS SOLD LOW, THAT IS GOING TO SQUEEZE EVERYONE AND WHO GETS SQUEEZED THE MOST AT THE BOTTOM.

>> ACTUALLY LET'S GO AHEAD AND TALK ABOUT IT NOW.

ESPECIALLY IN THE 2040 PLANT, A LOT OF MUMBO-JUMBO FOR FOLKS WH DON'T FOLLOW US ON A REGULAR BASIS.

IS BASICALLY THE RULES AND REGULATIONS THAT DEVELOPERS OF THE FOLLOWING FORWARD TO GO ALONG WITH THIS NEW PLAN.

AND WE'VE SEEN THESE REGULATION FOR THE FIRST TIME AND THIS IS GOING TO ACTUALLY ROLLED DICE AND RAISE THE PRICE ULTIMATELY.

COULD THAT BE THE RESULT OF IT BECAUSE OF ALL THESE REGULATION.

>> THAT WAS SOMETHING THAT WE'V HEARD FROM AND THE DEVELOPMENT COMMUNITY DURING THE DEBATE ABOUT ALL THIS.

I THINK THAT DEVELOPERS IN GENERAL TEND TO BE ALLERGIC TO REGULATIONS AND THE DEFAULT POSITION UNDERSTANDABLY IS FEWE REGULATIONS.

DEVELOPERS THAT I'VE TALKED TO SAY, HEY, YOU REQUIRE MORE WIDE SIDEWALKS, DIFFERENT KINDS OF TYPING, DIFFERENT KINDS OF, YOU KNOW, DESIGN FEATURES.

MAYBE JUST THOSE IS 1,000, 2,000 , BUT YOU PUT 50 OF THEM ON ME AND THAT IS GOING TO RAISE THE PRICE OF YOUR HOUSE BY A LOT .

I THINK THAT THE COUNTER ARGUMENT, IF THOSE ARE APPLIED TO EVERYONE, ALL DEVELOPERS ARE FACING MORE PARTS OVATIONS AND THEY WILL FIND A WAY TO MAKE IT WORK.

IT IS WHEN YOU APPLY AT SELECT THE FATE AND SAY DEVELOPER A, YOU HAVE TO BUILD SOMETHING MOR EXPENSIVE AND DEVELOPER BE, YOU DON'T.

BUT I THINK ULTIMATELY WE DON'T REALLY KNOW YET.

THE DEVELOPMENTS -- THE DEVELOPMENT RULES ARE STILL BEING WRITTEN.

ONCE THEY ARE WRITTEN, WE SAW A HUGE SPIKE IN THE PRICE OF LUMBER THIS PAST YEAR BUT I THINK THAT ADDED MORE TO HOUSIN COSTS THAN ANY OF THESE DEVELOPMENTS.

SO A LOT OF IT WILL COME DOWN T THE MARKET TOO.

>> I WHAT WANT TO JUMP IN ON THAT.

THE COST OF BUILDING HAS GONE U AND WE ARE DOING A PROJECT AT HOME.

IT IS MORE EXPENSIVE.

THAT IS A REAL COSTS AND DEVELOPERS, IT'S GOING TO COST, BOTTOM LINE.

IS GOING TO COST MORE 20 GETS FROM NOW, 2040, I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE PRICE LEVELS WILL LOOK LIKE BUT PROBABLY HIGHER.

THE SAME TIME DEVELOPERS STARTE HAVE THIS LITANY WHERE IT'S GOING TO COST US MORE, IT'S GOING TO COST US MORE.

FARMERS HAVE THEIR LITANY AND W ALL HAVE THIS WILL ALWAYS BE KIND OF THING AND SOMETIMES THA IS THAT SOMETHING THAT IS NOT.

IT COSTS MORE.

LISTEN, YOU'VE GOT TO DO SOMETHING.

YOU'VE GOT TO TRY.

SO I THINK THEY ARE PUSHING THE PLANTS IN THIS DIRECTION.

WE GOT TO TRY SOMETHING.

>> THIS IS NOT THE LAST -- WHAT YOU WRAP IT UP FOR US?

>> I THINK THIS IS THAT SURPRISING THAT THEY ARE MAKING THIS ARGUMENT.

YOU KNOW, I KNOW TALKING ABOUT IMPACT, FOR EXAMPLE THAT IS ONE THING.

YOU KNOW, OTHER COMMUNITIES HAV LARGER KIND OF FEES FOR ANY KIN OF DEVELOPMENT.

THERE HASN'T BEEN THIS MASS ACCIDENT -- MASS EXODUS OF DEVELOPMENT.

[INDISCERNIBLE] THERE'S A LOT OF FACTORS THAT IMPACT THE COST AND WE WANT TO KNOW HOW THESE REGULATIONS WILL IMPACT.

THE CITY IS TRYING TO BALANCE PRIORITIES.

IT IS JUST A BALANCE OF PRIORITIES WITH ALL OF THESE ADDITIONAL REGULATIONS AND HOW DO YOU BALANCE.

>> COMPLICATED PROBLEMS REQUIRE COMPLICATED SOLUTIONS.

THAT NEVER STOPPED US FROM TALKING ABOUT IT BEFORE BUT I'M SURE WE WILL BE TALKING ABOUT THE RULES AND REGULATIONS AGAIN AS WE GO FORWARD.

A LOT OF THIS, I SAW NUMBER THIS WEEK THAT SAYS EXPECTATION 50% LARGER IS HIS HABITUAL IT WOULD BE BY 2050.

ON ONE THING THAT STUCK OUT THI WEEK IS THAT GROWTH IS KIND OF FLAT.

THEY EXPECT TO REBOUND POST COVID FROM KIDS HAVE IT BACK FROM SCHOOL THAT UP FRONT OF TH SCHOOLS BUT THEY ARE NOT SEEING THAT.

ANY THOUGHTS ON THIS KIND OF FLATLINING OF GROWTH IN PUBLIC SCHOOLS IN CHARLOTTE MECKLENBUR AND WHAT IT MEANS TO THE SCHOOL SYSTEM AND THE COMMUNITY?

IF ANYBODY WANT TO TAKE THAT ON ON?

>> IN THE SHORT TERM BUT DOLLAR YOU HAVE MORE KIDS AND MORE DOLLARS.

SO THERE IS A CONCERTED.

SO I THINK THAT THEY WERE UP BY .2%.

THEY WERE EXPECTING HOPING FOR MORE THAN THAT.

SOME OF THE NEIGHBORING COUNTIES , BEDROOM COMMUNITIES, NOW, THEY ARE GOING.

OF THERE GETTING SOME OF THOSE BUT I THINK A BUNCH OF THOSE, DON'T HAVE A NUMBER BUT A BUNCH ARE GOING TO CHARTER SCHOOLS.

SOME ARE GOING TO PAROCHIAL AND PRIVATE SCHOOLS.

BUT, YES, THERE ARE NOT AS MANY KIDS AS THEY WOULD LIKE AND ONE OTHER INTERESTING FACT, THE NUMBERS SHOW THAT LATINO KIDS, THAT POPULATION WAS UP.

BUT WHITE KIDS, KIDS OF COLOR ARE UP.

WHITE STUDENTS FEWER.

>> THE SUBURBAN COUNTIES SAW TH KIND OF GROWTH THAT MECKLENBURG WAS EXPECTING.

THEY HAD 3-400 MORE STUDENTS, 400 MORE STUDENTS THAN THEY HAD LAST YEAR.

THAT THEY WERE EXPECTING THOUSANDS MORE.

LONG-TERM IT MAKES YOU WONDER I FOLKS ARE LOOKING AT THE QUALIT OF THE SCHOOLS AND ALL THOSE OTHER FACTORS.

GO AHEAD.

>> I THINK IT IS TOUGH TO SAY THIS PANDEMIC IS STILL GOING ON.

THERE'S MASS CONTROVERSY HERE.

THERE ARE PEOPLE WHO MIGHT SAY, WELL, G, I'VE BEEN TO CUBA GOIN TO UNION COUNTY AND NOW THIS THING CAN BE READY TO PULL THE TRIGGER ON THAT.

ANECDOTALLY PEOPLE I KNOW, I'VE HEARD PEOPLE GETTING CALLS FROM MONTESSORI PROGRAMS AND PRE-K PROGRAMS SAYING, HEY, THE PEOPL WHO WE HAD EXPECT THAT ARE SHOWING UP.

YOU ARE ON A WAIT LIST COULD YO WANT YOUR KID TO GET IN.

AND HAVING THE CHANCE TO TAKE THAT.

SO I THINK THAT THERE IS STILL, THERE IS STILL GROWTH HOLDING STEADY, BUT ARE WE GOING TO LOO BACK AND SAY THIS IS A BLIP OR IS AT THE START OF A TREND.

THAT IS THE BIG QUESTION WITH ALL OF THESE.

THE SOMETHING THAT WE CAN'T ANSWER YET.

>> IS THIS A PANDEMIC THING, THAT IT WILL EVENTUALLY GO AWAY OR IS THIS THE BEGINNING OF SOMETHING LARGER FOR THE SCHOOL SYSTEM IN AND THE COMMUNITY AT LARGE.

THAT'S THE QUESTION.

AGAIN, ANOTHER QUESTION AND ANOTHER TOPIC TO DISCUSS HAVE A FUTURE SHOW.

USUAL, WE'VE GOT MORE TOPICS THAT WE HAVE TIME.

THANKS FOR BEING HERE THIS WEEK.

AND THANK YOU FOR JOINING US AS WELL.

ANYTIME YOU WANT TO, DONE WHAT WE TALK ABOUT HERE OR HAVE QUESTIONS OF YOUR OWN, SEND THE TO OFF THE RECORD.org.

WE WILL SEE YOU NEXT TIME ON "OFF THE RECORD".

>> A PRODUCTION OF PBS CHARLOTTE .