Town elections are seldom exciting, but the race in Waynesville is generating a lot of buzz.

Despite all the important elections taking place in Western North Carolina this fall, there’s probably no other town with more on the line than Canton. 

The effect of short-term rental properties on the availability and affordability of workforce housing has been well-documented in Haywood County. 

A new collaboration is poised to make a large impact by providing new housing options for Jackson County seniors, low-income families and business professionals. 

In a neighborhood along Asheville’s French Broad River and abutting a residential street that includes young families, Upstream Way stands out. It’s not just because most of the homeowners live out of town but also because, neighbors say, it turns into a fraternity house-like party scene on some weekends.

Stuck in an undersized house in Sylva with a serious mold problem, Marilyn Tollie, her husband and four kids felt their hands were tied. Chronic lung problems for two of the kids made the situation untenable, and the local rental market was a mess.

Last week, the Jackson County Planning Board reviewed plans for a major subdivision in the Qualla Township on the northern end of the county. The planning board is tasked with reviewing subdivision plans before the process can continue toward approval.

Construction on one of Waynesville’s largest ever single-family home development hasn’t been underway for long, and it’s already transformed the previously pastoral landscape known for years as Queen Farm.

New housing will soon be available for Cherokee tribal members in Whittier following a unanimous vote from Tribal Council Aug. 4. 

Starved for supply, realtors in the Asheville region are listing fewer homes than at this time last year as pricing continues to climb.