Fire safety concerns can block apartment construction. Study says it shouldn’t
AI-generated summary reviewed by our newsroom.
- Pew study found zero fire deaths in modern NC apartments during 2023.
- Modern apartments showed lower national fire fatality rates than older homes.
- Regulatory barriers and outdated fire concerns hinder new apartment growth.
When constructing multifamily buildings, fire safety is often a priority, but one research group says it shouldn’t be.
A Pew Charitable Trusts study analyzing fire deaths in 2023 found that modern apartment buildings are far safer than their predecessors. A modern building is any multifamily built in 2000 or later, according to the nonprofit.
In North Carolina, the study found that of the 91 people who died in a residential fire in 2023, no one died in a modern building.
In single-family homes and buildings built prior to 1999, the death rates per million residents were 9.3 and 9.1, respectively.
South Carolina also saw zero fire deaths in modern buildings out of the 70 people who died in 2023.
On the national scale, the fire death rate in a modern building was 1.2 per million residents, compared to 7.7 in older buildings and 7.6 in single-family homes.
So, why perform this study now? Well, the U.S. has a housing shortage, according to Alex Horowitz, a housing policy project director with Pew. Building more apartments could address the issue but barriers, such as fire safety concerns, are halting construction.
The data in the study looked at deaths in already constructed homes and apartments. In Charlotte’s most recent apartment fires, one person died in July at the Aurea Station Apartments in south Charlotte. Two others died in December in an apartment fire in east Charlotte. Both of those buildings were constructed prior to 1999.
Housing shortages and regulatory barriers
The U.S. has a housing deficit between four million and seven million homes, according to Pew.
In North Carolina, there’s a five-year housing inventory gap of 764,478 units, per a February study commissioned by the NC Chamber Foundation, North Carolina Home Builders Association, and NC REALTORS.
That housing deficit, Horowitz said, is leading to increased rent prices, home prices and homelessness.
“What we know about housing affordability is that the most important driver is whether there are enough homes,” Horowitz said during a Monday conference on the study. “So, adding new homes is an immediate plus for affordability because it takes the pressure off the existing housing stock.”
But apartment complexes often face the most regulatory barriers when it comes to construction, the Pew study said. Those barriers come from restrictive zoning laws, building codes and long permitting times. But Pew found that fire safety concern was also a barrier.
The nonprofit set out to see if municipalities and residents should be highly concerned with fire hazards when it comes to apartment buildings.
The answer was no.
“Modern apartments are much safer than other housing types, even though they are the type of housing most likely to be blocked by fire safety concerns,” Horowitz said during a conference on the study. “We need more homes and new apartments are the safest type to add.”
More apartment complexes?
The study found that new buildings were safer than older buildings and single-family homes. Though newer single-family homes were also safe, Horowitz added.
The study didn’t dive into why new apartments were safer but it could be inferred that modern apartments come with modern safety measures, Horowitz said. That includes features such as self-closing doors and noncombustible stairways.
Ultimately, creating more modern apartments would also improve residential fire safety, Horowitz added. The housing stock is aging, leaving residents to live in these older buildings. New houses could mean increase safety for residents.
“The fact that the housing stock is the oldest it’s ever been isn’t just bad news for quality of life, it’s bad news for fire safety,” Horowitz said.
The real hurdle in increasing apartment construction, Horowitz acknowledged, is the regulatory barriers.
Horowitz notes in cities such as Minneapolis, Austin and New Rochelle, rents have declined because the areas have made it easier to build apartments, increasing the housing stock.
He’s hoping other cities follow suit.
“Regulatory barriers, that do include misplaced fire safety concerns, are driving the cost of building apartments and sometimes blocking them,” Horowitz said. “And land use and building code reforms to enable modern apartment construction... we know is good for housing affordability. We know that’s good for housing availability. We know that’s good for enabling economic opportunity and reducing homelessness, but it would boost fire safety too.”
Residential fires in Charlotte
Charlotte’s last major fire was the five-alarm fire at the Modera SouthPark project in May 2023. This fire wouldn’t be included in the study because it occured at a construction site. The complex was under construction when a generator failed in a spray-foam trailer at 7740 Liberty Row.
Two men — Demonte Tyree Sherrill and Reuben Holme — were killed in the blaze.
