Growth Politics Is Politically Treacherous Territory, Pollster Says | Eastern North Carolina Now

    Publisher's note: This post appears here courtesy of the Carolina Journal, and written by Lindsay Marchello.


    A new poll from Triangle Community Coalition and Fallon Research and Communications show Raleigh residents are torn between concerns over housing prices and the rate of growth in the city.

    Fallon Research surveyed 401 likely voters throughout Raleigh from May 6 to May 9 using a combination of residential and cell phone listings. The margin of error is plus or minus 4.89% and the poll has a confidence interval of 9.78%.

    "This a snapshot of opinions at a point in time. Public opinion data is dynamic, it changes over time," Paul Fallon, head of Fallon Research said during a June 21 poll luncheon at the Triangle Apartment Association headquarters.

    Ensuring housing costs are affordable topped voters' priorities for Raleigh city leaders. Twenty-three percent of respondents said housing costs were a top priority, followed by 19% who said managing growth and new construction should be a top priority. Sixteen percent said reducing congestion, 14% said creating and bringing more good jobs in the area, and 14% said preventing tax increases.

    Half of respondents said housing costs in Raleigh are too high, while 43% said they are about right. Seven percent are unsure. African American residents are more likely to say housing costs are too high compared to white residents, with 70% of African Americans saying the costs are too high versus 44% of white residents. Renters are also more likely, at 70%, to say housing costs are too high compared to 45% of homeowners.

    The current rate of new-housing construction is about right to 45% of respondents, but too fast for 40% of respondents. Only 9% said it was too slow.

    Interestingly, Fallon said, 59% of respondents said both growth is too fast and the cost of housing is too high.

    "This shows how politically treacherous growth politics is," Fallon said.

    The poll also looked at the upcoming Raleigh mayoral race and residents' opinions of the Raleigh City Council.

    Elections will be held Oct. 8 for all eight Raleigh City Council seats, including the mayor's. Current Raleigh Mayor Nancy McFarlane isn't running for re-election.

    A majority of respondents weren't sure who they will vote for in the mayoral election. Nearly 60% said they are unsure, while 17% said they would vote for Charles Francis and 15% would vote for Mary-Ann Baldwin. Five percent would vote for Zainab Baluch and 4% would vote for Carolina Sullivan.

    Meanwhile, 53% of respondents say they approve of the work being done by the Raleigh City Council, while 28% disapprove. Fallon pointed out that most of the respondents don't feel strongly either way, with only 8% strongly approving and 13% strongly disapproving.

    Despite the 53% approval rating, 42% of respondents say it's time to elect someone new to the Raleigh City Council. Thirty-three percnet said members deserve reelection while 19% are unsure.