Meet Karen Stegman: Our Newest Board Member
We’re thrilled to welcome Karen Stegman to the Board of Directors at the Community Home Trust!
A Chapel Hill native, Karen brings with her a deep commitment to affordable housing and a rich background in public service and nonprofit work. After spending time in various U.S. cities and abroad, Karen returned to her hometown 30 years ago and has since been a passionate advocate for equity, community development, and housing accessibility.
Karen has spent the last two decades working in the global health and development sector, and for the past eight years, she served on the Chapel Hill Town Council, where affordable housing was one of her top priorities. During her tenure, she played a vital role in several transformative initiatives, including:
- Passing two affordable housing bonds totaling $25 million
- Funding over 1,400 new affordable housing unitsand allocating town-owned land for future development
- Approving a 5-year strategic plan to support the creation of up to 900 new affordable homes and the preservation of up to 400 existing units
- Streamlining the development review process for projects with significant affordable housing, cutting approval timelines from 12–18 months to less than six
Karen has long recognized Community Home Trust as a key partner in achieving the Town’s affordable housing goals. “The land trust model is one of several critical approaches to creating and preserving permanently affordable housing,” she says. “Now that I am no longer on the Town Council, I am excited to join the CHT board at a time when the organization is already thriving. I want to help CHT continue to innovate on ways to further expand its impact and reach.”
Outside of her professional and civic roles, Karen enjoys a full and active life with her family, who she calls her “favorite people in the world.” Recently relocated to Carrboro, they love exploring their new neighborhood: walking to the farmers market, catching shows at Cat’s Cradle, and enjoying the local restaurant scene. Karen also loves to cook, read, walk her dogs, see live music, and has recently picked up a new favorite pastime, pickleball.
Please join us in giving a warm welcome to Karen Stegman! We are honored to have her experience, passion, and leadership on our Board as we continue working toward a more equitable and affordable future for our community.
