In 2021, EJP wrote a successful $40 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation grant for the Durham Housing Authority (DHA) to redevelop the 519 E. Main and Liberty Street Apartments. EJP currently serves as program manager throughout the implementation of this 8-year grant to develop mixed-income and affordable replacement housing in Durham.
By: Greg Childress - August 15, 2024
Original Article posted to NC Newsline at https://ncnewsline.com/2024/08/15/
Construction equipment beeped and whirred in the background and dump trucks roared in the distance during a groundbreaking ceremony Wednesday for Commerce Street Apartments, a 172-unit, mixed-income apartment complex in downtown Durham.
Local, state and national housing officials called the construction noise sounds of progress.
“I thought that was an intentional soundtrack for today,” said Scott Farmer, executive director of North Carolina Housing Finance Agency. “There’s no better soundtrack for what’s happening in Durham than the sound of construction. The sound of the dump truck backing up is a joy to most folks in the affordable housing business because it means that progress is being made.”
When completed, Commerce Street Apartments will offer 172 mixed-income apartment homes in two four-story buildings. Eighty-eight of the units will be reserved for seniors 62 or older, while 84 will be available to individuals and families of all ages. Seventy-one of the apartments will be public housing replacement units, while another 58 will serve households with incomes below 60% of area median income. The remainder of the units will be market-rate.
The apartment complex is a project of the Durham Housing Authority (DHA) and its development partner, Laurel Street Residential. It’s part of a major redevelopment at Main and Liberty streets in downtown. The project is DHA’s fourth affordable housing development funded in part by the City of Durham’s Forever Home Durham affordable housing program. It involved demolition of 26 existing public housing units along Commerce Street.
Anthony Scott, CEO of DHA, said the housing crisis has elevated the challenge of finding quality, affordable housing. “It’s an issue that we in public housing absolutely understand,” Scott said. “We struggle with the inconsistent nature of congressional funding.”
The Commerce Street Apartments project is also the first development supported by the $40 million Choice Neighborhoods Initiative Grant administered by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development (HUD) and awarded to DHA and the City of Durham in 2022. Elizabeth Street Apartments (not part of the Choice Neighborhoods grant) is currently under construction nearby with a completion date of December 2024.
Adrianne Todman, acting HUD secretary, traveled to Durham to celebrate the groundbreaking.
“It’s not just hopes and dreams that build housing, it needs money,” Todman said. “And while HUD did contribute $40 million, it also takes leadership and business partners to bring other funding to the table.”
Todman said HUD doesn’t often get to “flex” about its community development efforts.
“It’s about the housing, don’t get me wrong, because the people who put this tent up need affordable housing. Todman said. “The people teaching our kids need affordable housing. The people putting out our fires and making sure people are healthy need affordable housing. I’m sure some of ya’ll up in here need affordable housing. What this is, it is all about housing but it’s all about the community we’re going to create with that housing.”
Todman and other housing leaders paid tribute to former Congressman David Price, who long represented the state’s Fourth Congressional District. They said Price was an unwavering champion for affordable housing while serving in Congress.
“Every now and then a leader comes a long to make sure the right thing is being done — not just for where he’s from — but for Americans across the county,” she said. “I’ve seen the gentleman in front of me [Price] fight — getting these kinds of funds is not easy — for funds for affordable housing for people who need it the most, whether they were homeless or trying to become a first time homeowner.”
Congresswoman Valerie Foushee, D-Orange, said there’s a need for more affordable housing across the nation.
“We have seen how the rapid growth in our area has resulted in higher housing costs, making it difficult for an increasing number of residents to find safe and affordable housing,” Foushee said. “With the steep rise in rental rates, those on low or fixed incomes are left particularly vulnerable.”
In Durham, 46% of renters have difficulty affording their homes, according to the N.C. Housing Coalition. Families that spend more than 30% of their income on housing are considered cost-burdened.
Foushee said that stable housing is a basic human need and the foundation upon which people build their lives.
“Without safe, decent, affordable places to live, it is nearly impossible to thrive in school, succeed at work, raise a family or stay healthy.”
A push for change
The upbeat, celebratory ground-breaking was interrupted by tenants of JFK Towers, a 172-unit apartment complex in Durham for low-income seniors and people with disabilities. Residents have long complained about poor management and maintenance at JFK Towers.
The building is managed by Cleveland-based The Millennia Companies. The company has been barred from entering any new contracts with government agencies due to concerns about its management practices.
Todman stepped in after JFK residents began to complain about living conditions at JFK Towers.
“I know that that site is funded by HUD, so let me commit to you now that the senior leader for this region Tiffany Cobb [HUD Southeast deputy regional administrator] that she’s going to come by the site and take a look at things and provide a report to me about what we need to do to move forward,” Todman said.
Durham Mayor Leonardo Williams also pledged to address tenants’ concerns.
“I want everybody to know that we’re going to try our best,” Williams said. “JFK Towers, you’re not going to be ignored by this mayor.”
Original Article posted to NC Newsline at https://ncnewsline.com/2024/08/15/