We, the undersigned, ask the Durham City Council to create more affordable housing and to revitalize local neighborhoods by allocating $500,000 – about ¼ of a penny on the tax rate – in the City’s 2010-2011 budget to support affordable housing efforts in our community. Funding allocated to the "Penny for Housing" initiative has been instrumental in creating CASA's mixed-income housing project and Housing for New Hope's Williams Square Apartments near Oxford Commons, resulting in the addition of 34 units of affordable housing over the last two years. Penny for Housing funds also leveraged additional federal, state, and private funding totaling $2.16 million for these two projects.

Unemployment and foreclosures are at historic levels, threatening more residents with homelessness. Homeless veterans and others with special needs require permanent supportive housing. Affordable, quality housing improves the stability of our neighborhoods. Durham’s Five Year Consolidated Plan and Durham’s Ten Year Results Plan to End Homelessness both make special needs housing and neighborhood stabilization and revitalization a priority for our community.

We, the undersigned, ask that the City Council continue to build on the last three years of support for meeting these needs by allocating: $500,000 to create housing throughout Durham that is affordable to families and individuals whose incomes are below 30% of the area median, including seniors, homeless residents and people with special needs. Since it often difficult and sometimes impossible to match a development project timetable with the City’s fiscal year, any funding for this effort should be allocated to a housing trust fund that can increase and roll-over from year-to-year.