Allison Chipps | Queens University News Service

In Charlotte, the most important decisions aren’t always made under the bright lights of a full council vote. Instead, they begin in quieter rooms — inside committees of the Charlotte City Council — where fewer people are watching and even fewer know how to speak up.

In Charlotte, cranes dot the skyline and “For Rent” signs line busy corridors — but for many college students, those signs signal competition rather than opportunity. The city continues to grow at one of the fastest rates in the United States. But that growth has come with a cost: rising rent, shrinking availability and increased corporate ownership of housing.