Affordability & Cost of Living

Chris Bishopp, the Democratic candidate for North Carolina House District 82, believes housing, utility bills, property taxes, and childcare costs in Cabarrus County are rising faster than most families' paychecks, and that the state has concrete tools to bring those costs down rather than just talk about it.

Cabarrus County is one of the fastest-growing parts of North Carolina, and that growth is part of what makes it a good place to live. But the cost of living in Cabarrus County is climbing just as fast. Gas, groceries, rent, and housing prices have all stayed high. Even in a county with higher-than-average income, more residents are struggling to keep up. Chris's guiding question for any tax or spending decision is simple: does it improve economic opportunity for everyday residents, or does it just shift costs onto them?

Chris will vote against the constitutional amendment on this November's ballot that would cap property tax revenue. Property tax relief is needed, but it should be targeted for people who are struggling. A cap across the board largely benefits the wealthy and large corporations, who don’t need the relief. It also endangers funding for crucial local services. Property taxes fund schools, fire departments, libraries, and infrastructure in Cabarrus County, and decisions about how much revenue those services need should be made by the local governments that run them, not by people in Raleigh who don't live in the community. 

He also opposes further cuts to the corporate income tax (which is already scheduled to hit zero). He feels these taxes should not be cut further unless the state can prove it can still pay for the schools, public safety, and infrastructure Cabarrus County needs. Without that revenue, services get cut or the cost shifts to the sales tax, which falls hardest on people already struggling with the cost of living. Chris does support lowering or abolishing state taxes on groceries, as cutting taxes on a basic necessity delivers relief to the people who actually need it.

Chris wants new infrastructure in place before new houses are built, not after. He will push the state to fund roads, water, sewer, and stormwater upgrades through grants and low-interest loans to local governments. 

He will also push for state limits on how many single-family homes can be bought in bulk by large investment firms and corporate landlords. That kind of institutional buying drives up home prices, shrinks the supply available to first-time buyers, and pushes up rents across the county. 

On ownership, Chris will work to expand the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency's down-payment assistance program for first-time homebuyers, prioritizing teachers, first responders, and health care workers. He believes the people Cabarrus County depends on most should be able to afford to live here. 

He also supports state legislation that makes it easier for local governments to approve smaller-lot homes, townhomes, and duplexes. These types of homes cost less to build and buy than a traditional single-family house, which will help protect property rights and allow final zoning decisions to be left to the communities themselves. 

Chris also wants to preserve the affordable housing that already exists. He will work to create incentives for landlords and developers who keep units affordable, so longtime residents aren't priced out of the county they helped build.

Chris will push to raise reimbursement rates for childcare providers, expand subsidy eligibility, invest in the early childhood workforce, and create employer tax credits that help cover childcare costs. When families can count on reliable, affordable childcare, parents can stay in the workforce and keep more of what they earn each month, which also means more money spent at local businesses.

Chris will fight the double-digit rate increase Duke Energy is currently seeking, which falls directly on household budgets. He will push the legislature to adopt the North Carolina Attorney General's proposal for a separate utility rate class for data centers and other large energy users, so those customers pay their fair share of new grid costs instead of passing them on to residential ratepayers. He will also push to end state tax incentives for data center construction and to open up Duke Energy's regulated monopoly to competition, both of which he believes will help bring costs down. 

Chris will push for faster, more cost-effective adoption of solar, wind, and battery storage. He's had solar panels on his own home for nearly a decade and has seen firsthand the savings they can provide.

Chris will fight against the policies that move costs onto Cabarrus County families, from the property tax cap to runaway utility rate hikes. He will fight for the investments in housing, childcare, and infrastructure that actually bring the cost of living down in Cabarrus County.