Addressing the lack of affordable places to live is our community’s most critical and pressing
need, and the 505 site offers the City a chance to do something significant now, not wait for
years in the future.
This is a pivotal moment, and now is NOT the time for Council to take its foot off the gas.
As we stated in the 505 Coalition position statement in October 2023: “We believe this significant public asset can give us a unique chance to take a big step forward in meeting Durham’s affordable housing needs... Downtown’s long-term residents – educators, first responders, bus drivers, maintenance workers, and especially those on fixed and low-to-moderate incomes – are being displaced and priced out of the City they helped build and now serve in so many essential
ways.”
We call on the Council, as our duly elected representatives, to direct City staff to move forward immediately with a plan to build a minimum of 130 units of rental housing affordable in perpetuity to families earning 60% of AMI. Specifically, we call on Council to direct the City Manager and City Staff to:
- Within 90 days, select a qualified affordable housing developer with a successful track record in Durham and North Carolina to partner with the City to develop and implement a plan to build a minimum of 130 units of affordable rental housing at 505;
- Work with the selected developer to create a plan acceptable to the City and the developer for building the affordable units and sufficient parking facilities on a portion of the 505 site; and
- Within 90 days of selecting the developer, return to City Council with the plan and a proposed contract with the developer for Council’s consideration and approval.