Don't expect homes in Charlotte to become more affordable.

Why it matters: Affordable housing remains limited in Charlotte despite a rise in overall housing supply, UNC Charlotte's new State of Housing in Charlotte 2025 report shows.

• The report focuses on housing across eight counties in the Charlotte area: Mecklenburg, Cabarrus, Gaston, Iredell, Lincoln and Union counties in North Carolina, and Lancaster and York in South Carolina.

Context: In 2024, the Charlotte metro added 28,951 housing units. This surpassed the 24,837 households the area gained over that period, creating a surplus of roughly 4,114 units.

Yes, but: Yongqiang Chu, lead researcher and author of the report, expects construction delivery to significantly slow down over the next two to three years as developers remain cautious to move forward with new projects.

Zoom in: Entry-level homes used to mean anything under $150,000, Chu says, but only 1.8% of homes have been sold under that mark year-to-date.

By the numbers: To afford the median-priced home in 2005, you needed an income of $55,110, which rose to $79,014 in 2020. Today it's $146,280.

The bottom line: "If you think you want to buy a house, don't wait," Chu tells Axios. "I just don't see the possibility that prices will go significantly lower or that interest rates will go significantly lower."

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A new institute in Charlotte will train thousands of health care workers every year in minimally invasive and robotic surgery — including on equipment so cutting-edge, it's still awaiting FDA clearance to begin training.

Why it matters: IRCAD's North American headquarters, now operating in midtown, is described as the "super magnet" of The Pearl, home to an innovation district and Charlotte's first four-year medical school.

• Leaders say it will attract the world's top medical talent to engineer, teach and make breakthroughs in their fields.

Case in point: IRCAD North America officially opened in September. During the inaugural course, 28 faculty from 14 countries were brought in to teach and mentor 34 Atrium Health (which is part of Advocate Health) residents and fellows.

By the numbers: In its first six weeks, IRCAD has held 27 courses and trained 932 health care providers. It's on track to train 8,000 professionals in the first year.

Fun fact: The headquarters is a medical-grade building with 19-foot-high ceilings and elevators that can lift 18,000 pounds, strong enough for an MRI machine, for example.

• In the case of an emergency like COVID, it can transition to a hospital.

See inside the high-tech facility

Charlotte's nonprofit community is stepping up as the government shutdown strains wallets and suspends key food assistance benefits.

Why it matters: With paychecks halted for federal workers and SNAP benefits slated to be paused Nov. 1, many Charlotte families are struggling to make ends meet.

Driving the news: Several Charlotte-area farmers' markets, including the ones in Davidson and Uptown, are launching special contingency plans in November so residents can still access fresh food.

State of play: A few local businesses — including Manolo's Bakery, Cuzzo's Cuisine and Ruby Sunshine — are offering free food to furloughed federal workers who show a valid ID during the shutdown.

Zoom out: If you need food assistance, Charlotte has a list of food pantries and programs ready to feed families. Among them:

• Nourish Up offers free groceries for Mecklenburg County residents.
• Hearts and Hands Food Pantry supplies personal care items and baby products in addition to groceries by appointment.

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Cultural Program Manager at Town of Matthews

• Company overview: Matthews offers big city amenities with a small-town feel with annual festivals, family-friendly entertainment and plenty of recreational amenities.
• In this role: Performs professional work developing, coordinating, and executing cultural programming and events in the Matthews Community Center and McDowell Arts Center.
• Must-have: At least two (2) years of experience designing and implementing recreation programs.

Interested? Apply here.

🐶 Charlotte's new Animal Care & Control shelter at 5400 South Tryon St. will cost $30 million — a higher cost per square foot than a typical building — because of specialized materials and equipment for infrastructure like plumbing and HVAC. (🔒 Ledger)

💰 The City of Charlotte revoked funding eligibility from Heal Charlotte this month amid concerns over how the housing assistance nonprofit managed a $2.25 million grant. (🔒 Observer)

🛒 Virginia will use state money to keep SNAP running, but North Carolina won't. (WUNC)

A case of pulmonary tuberculosis was recently detected at North Mecklenburg High School. (WBTV)

Charlotte FC has five players making at least $1 million, according to Major League Soccer Players Association's latest salary guide.

Why it matters: MLS playoffs are underway, and it's time to see if teams got what they paid for.

Catch up quick: Charlotte FC's biggest summer signing is its fifth highest-paid player — English defender Harry Toffolo.

• Designated player Wilfried Zaha, a former Premier League star, joined Charlotte FC in January.

By the numbers: Zaha, a winger, remains Charlotte FC's top-paid player with a guaranteed compensation of $2.8 million. Charlotte FC's other highest-paid players include:

• Winger Liel Abada: $2.5 million.
• Midfielder Pep Biel: $1.5 million.
• Defender Tim Ream: $1.1 million.
• Toffolo: $1 million.

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November college football matchups are upon us. Here's who is playing in the Charlotte area and beyond this week.

Editor's note: This does not include every school. Games are on Nov. 1 unless otherwise noted.

🐏 North Carolina (2-5) plays at Syracuse (3-5) tomorrow at 7:30pm on ESPN.

🐂 Johnson C. Smith (7-1) plays at Fayetteville State (5-3) at 1pm Saturday on HBCU GO.

🐾 Davidson (1-7) plays at Morehead State (4-5) at 1pm on ESPN+.

🐺 N.C. State (4-4) hosts No. 8 Georgia Tech (8-0) at 7:30pm on ESPN2.

🎩 Wake Forest (5-2) plays at Florida State (3-4) at 7:30pm on ACCN.

🦅 N.C. Central (5-3) plays at Howard (4-4) at 3:30pm on ESPN+.

🐶 N.C. A&T (2-6) hosts Towson (3-5) at noon on FloCollege.

🏴‍☠️ East Carolina (4-3) plays at Temple (5-3) at 2pm on ESPN+.

🐔 South Carolina (3-5) plays at No. 7 Ole Miss (7-1) at 7pm on ESPN.

🐯 Clemson (3-4) hosts Duke (4-3) at pm on ACCN.

This Halloween weekend is packed with celebrations — from spooky pop-up bars and bar crawls to a 5K and festivals.

• 👀 Watch the film "Halloween" Friday at The Carolina Theater. | $0-$24 | 7pm | Details
• 🚘 Take a drive to South Carolina to experience the Everything Outdoor Fest for fishing, hiking, mountain biking, demos, exhibits, live music, frisbee dog showcase and more. | $12-$20 | Runs through Sunday | Details
• 🎃 Bring your leftover pumpkins to smash at BATL Grounds Plaza Midwood and LoSo locations. | Prices vary | 12-5pm Saturday | Details

Full weekender