Durham City Council's work session on August 22 focused on recognizing a successful emergency response, addressing a housing debt crisis, and confronting an escalating gun violence problem that has reached a ten-year high.
The council approved $280,917.73 in federal pandemic relief funds to pay down rent arrears for 172 families living in public housing, though council members expressed frustration that the payment would cover less than a third of the total $1.8 million in outstanding rent across all 695 households. The Durham Housing Authority agreed to inform residents that receiving the assistance requires entering a payment agreement that prevents eviction. However, Chelsea Cook and other members worried that families would still owe hundreds of thousands of dollars after the city's assistance, leaving vulnerable residents vulnerable to displacement within months. The housing authority will provide a detailed breakdown of all tenant debt by time period within 60 days.
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