Durham City Council's November 7 meeting surfaced a growing housing crisis and public safety concerns even as the city celebrated voter approval of a $200 million infrastructure investment. The most urgent issue came from church leaders reporting that emergency rental assistance funds are nearly depleted while rent increases accelerate. Grace Wakeman and Emily Wils from Trinity Avenue Presbyterian Church told council the church has distributed $45,000 to more than 200 families this year—triple the amount from last year—and warned that upcoming property tax increases from approved bonds will likely force landlords to raise rents on vulnerable tenants who lack protections homeowners have. Entry Point Durham is out of funds until July 2025, and one renter received notice of a rent increase from $169 to $780 per month with less than two weeks notice. The church requested city assistance funds, longer notice periods for rent increases, and creation of a tenant advisory board.
Council also heard urgent complaints from Pack Five neighborhood about open drug use, dealing, and prostitution at the East Main and Stokes intersection. Ozetta Frazier described property crime, theft, sanitation problems, and unsheltered encampments near new community homes, saying residents followed police direction for over a year with no improvement. Mayor Leonardo Williams committed to meeting with residents about the concentrated problems in historically underserved neighborhoods.
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