EC North Carolina News

City of Durham issued the following announcement on Jan. 10.

ForeverHomeDurham.com Brings Together Partners, Charts City-Wide Commitment to an Affordable, Livable, and Inclusive Community 

The City of Durham announced today the launch of its Forever Home, Durham website, highlighting developments of the historic $160 million affordable housing program.

A catalytic public investment designed to expand affordability for renters and homeowners, the program became possible when city residents voted in favor of the $95 million affordable housing bond in November 2019. A portal for progress, commitments and outcomes, the site spotlights activities that have been underway since bond passage, including resources and information about city-funded services and partner organizations providing housing opportunities. 

The website is a cornerstone of the City’s stated commitment to collaborate with the community and provide transparency on how the $160 million multi-year investment is making an impact. It will also serve to demonstrate how the investment is spurring additional funding to create affordable housing, jobs, and stability for years to come.  

“Forever Home, Durham represents a major investment by the people of Durham, who approved this bond overwhelmingly. The City is committed to consistent communication and transparent public service, and Forever Home, Durham is an integral component to that promise,” said City of Durham Community Development Department Director Reginald Johnson. “A centralized source of accurate and timely updates is important. This website is just a start as we work to make Durham affordable, livable and inclusive for its residents.”

The website will be updated on a quarterly basis to inform the community at large. In addition to monitoring the progress of the five major goals of the Forever Home, Durham affordable housing program on the homepage, visitors will be able to see homes being built, services provided, impact stories in the community, requests for proposals, frequently asked questions and more in a clear, easy-to-use format. As the City continues to work hand-in-hand with partners across the community, website visitors will also be able to navigate directly to other partner organizations that are making the progress of Forever Home, Durham possible. 

“At DHA, we have seen first-hand that the City of Durham is an active believer in accomplishing more together than you can alone,” said Durham Housing Authority CEO Anthony Scott. “While we have had a front row seat to the great work the City has done in our community since city residents voted in favor of the $95 million affordable housing bond, this website is a communal tool for us all to see real money creating real change. There is still hard work to be done, but the partnership we have in place with the City is critical to the success of our mission, including the community-developed DHA Downtown and Neighborhood Plan.” 

To learn more about Forever Home, Durham and how it’s making an impact, visit the Forever Home, Durham website. 

About City of Durham Community Development Department

The mission of the Community Development Department is to foster safe, decent and sustainable neighborhoods, and to enhance housing quality and affordability for the citizens of Durham. Guided by the City’s Strategic Plan, the department helps to ensure that the city has thriving, livable neighborhoods by enhancing housing quality and affordability for Durham residents. The Community Development Department is responsible for coordinating the City’s community development and neighborhood stabilization and revitalization efforts including financial empowerment and home retention, affordable housing, and homelessness services programs. The City implements these services by working with developers and community housing development organizations.            

Original source can be found here.