CARY, N.C. — A group of about a hundred gathered Thursday night wanting candidates to publicly address what they're calling a "worsening affordable housing crisis" as well as implement strategies to fix it.

What You Need To Know

  • Early voting kicks off today for the North Carolina primaries

  • If you don't vote in-person, May 10 marks the deadline to submit an absentee ballot request form

  • May 17 is primary Election Day

Ivan Martinez was one of the attendees. He's been living at a mobile home park in Cary for 16 years.

Martinez says he and the roughly 300 other homeowners there are afraid that the neighborhood will be torn down and redeveloped and that in the future none of them will be able to afford to live there.

"It's cheap and Cary is my home, our home, and we want to stay here in Cary," Martinez said.

Related: Early voting for North Carolina’s primaries is underway

The group of religious leaders, nonprofit members and community activists say it's not just about addressing affordable housing priorities right now, but for the long haul.​

After hearing from candidates, the group marched to a nearby voting site.