As Asheville’s government attempts to manage growth, its leaders are mindful of an underlying tension between two groups: those who would like to be residents of the city, and those who already are.
In March of this year, the city began a conscious effort to balance those priorities. Now three months in, Asheville’s Anti-Displacement and Affordable Housing Project has outlined how the municipal government plans to increase residential development while minimizing its challenges for existing neighborhoods.
Assistant City Manager Ben Woody, who is helping to lead the project, said the city’s primary concern is “physical displacement” — existing residents becoming unable to stay in their current neighborhood due to forces beyond their control, such as increased rents, higher property taxes or demolition for redevelopment…