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Can Durham’s $95M Proposed Affordable Housing Bond Protect Low-Income Residents?

WUNC News | By Frank Stasio,
Laura Pellicer
Published October 30, 2019 at 12:32 PM EDT
The redevelopment of downtown Durham fuels increasing housing and property costs in the city.
The redevelopment of downtown Durham fuels increasing housing and property costs in the city.

Durham is one of a number of North Carolina cities that have experienced rapid growth in the last decade.WUNC Data Reporter Jason deBruyn joins host Frank Stasio to talk about Durham's proposed housing bond.

Its downtown core is teeming with new businesses, and the mixed-use One City Center now towers over the city's landscape. As the community shifts, Durham has laid out an ambitious, and expensive, plan to curb displacement and gentrification.

The $95 million affordable housing bond will be on the ballot at the next municipal election on Nov. 5. The plan touts the construction of 1,600 new affordable housing units; the preservation of 800 affordable rental units; and 400 affordable home ownership opportunities for first-time homebuyers. Host Frank Stasio speaks with WUNC Data Reporter Jason deBruyn about the details of the bond and the political tension over the plan.

 

Copyright 2019 North Carolina Public Radio
Frank Stasio
Longtime NPR correspondent Frank Stasio was named permanent host of The State of Things in June 2006. A native of Buffalo, Frank has been in radio since the age of 19. He began his public radio career at WOI in Ames, Iowa, where he was a magazine show anchor and the station's News Director.
See stories by Frank Stasio
Laura Pellicer
Laura Pellicer is a producer with The State of Things (hyperlink), a show that explores North Carolina through conversation. Laura was born and raised in Montreal, Quebec, a city she considers arrestingly beautiful, if not a little dysfunctional. She worked as a researcher for CBC Montreal and also contributed to their programming as an investigative journalist, social media reporter, and special projects planner. Her work has been nominated for two Canadian RTDNA Awards. Laura loves looking into how cities work, pursuing stories about indigenous rights, and finding fresh voices to share with listeners. Laura is enamored with her new home in North Carolina—notably the lush forests, and the waves where she plans on moonlighting as a mediocre surfer.
See stories by Laura Pellicer