Housing for All

Durham has an abundance of wealth, beautiful open spaces, and a worsening housing unaffordability crisis, whether trying to rent or purchase a home. The median income in Durham is just over $45,000 per year. Real estate speculation and development have driven prices out of the attainable range for the average family. A deep dive into rental offerings reveals no shortage of vacancies across Durham, but a lack of affordable properties. Over 5,000 families are waiting for housing through Durham Housing Authority- that's a three year wait. The current federal administration is considering limiting Section 8 grants to two years. The city of Durham needs to do more to end housing insecurity for our neighbors. New developments should be incentivized to aggressively provide housing that is actually affordable for people making up to 80% of the median income; money should be allocated to repair current DHA properties; public-private partnerships should be explored to transform vacant buildings- hello, old police station!- into mixed use offerings. Continuing to allow so many neighbors to go without housing is not an option.