North Charlotte Today

The struggle to find affordable housing in Durham is real, with it taking years for some.

Marie Faison, for example, has lived in the area for decades and only was able to find something in her price range a couple years ago.

"I've lived in Durham since 1990 and I just recently purchased a home two years ago that's an affordable home,” Faison said in a WTVD report.

Now that she has her own place, she has joined others in pushing for future developments to include affordable options.

She realizes that home ownership is a key component of one’s self-esteem and she empathizes with those struggling to find shelter for themselves.

"They're moving in with relatives (or) couch surfing” while they struggle to find their own place, she said.

While Faison was dealing with such challenges, she turned to support organizations like Durham's Community Empowerment Fund, which has rallied for affordable housing options.

"It should be possible for someone to find housing in Durham, period,” Heeya Sen, the organization's community organizer, said.

The group is pushing a “30 for 30” strategy, which calls for future housing projects to set aside 30% of the units for people who make less than 30% of the median income for the region.

"We're paying attention and we know that changes need to be made and we put it on policyholders and policymakers and people in power to make these changes in a way that is on a reasonable timeline and listening to the people they're supposed to be serving,” Sen said.

An affordable housing referendum back in 2019 was passed in Durham with the establishment of Forever Home, Durham — a partnership between Durham County, the Durham Housing Authority and other nonprofits that created a $160 million program to create affordable housing for low-to-moderate income residents.