On today’s show, my colleague Rachel Keith is looking under the hood of SparkNC — a public education program that takes a different approach to high school, by giving students hands-on experience dealing with the real-world challenges of the technology industry.
And we’ll have a preview of WHQR’s newest limited series podcast: Re-Education Nation, where host Logan Kennedy has been sitting down with teachers, advocates, and officials to dig deep into education issues in southeastern North Carolina.
But first, it’s been a chaotic month for Wilmington Housing Authority tenants, especially those in Creekwood. In early December, a letter went out to over a 100 residents, essentially telling them their rent would increase — no longer based on their income, but instead on the area's median income, a technical-sounding change that, in practical terms, could mean rents that doubled or tripled.
Getting information from WHA about why this happened, what it meant, and what would happen to tenants was not easy — and poor communication did nothing to assuage the fears of tenants who saw a fiscal cliff on the horizon and approaching fast.
In the end, the situation turned out to be less dire than many had feared – though not quite a total return to normal. But it leaves questions about how WHA gets information to tenants and the public.
More reporting on the Wilmington Housing Authority:
- After getting update from the state, WHA now says no major rent increases for Creekwood
- New details from WHA indicate rent hikes will mostly hit Creekwood
- Wilmington Housing Authority set to raise rents on 500+ apartments next year
- Wilmington Housing Authority gives update on Hillcrest, federal shutdown, and Jervay
More reporting on SparkNC:
- SparkNC has four labs in New Hanover County, hopes to continue expansion across NC
- SparkNC program brings high tech courses to high schoolers, and it’s looking to expand
Find all episodes of Re-Education Nation with Logan Kennedy here.
