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Durham, Durham County

Durham: Selected for Bloomberg housing initiative to expand housing choices

The city said it is one of 30 municipalities chosen for a Bloomberg Philanthropies housing program. Durham is using the support to expand accessory dwelling units. The city's page does not list a dollar amount for Durham.

ConfirmedThe main facts are confirmed by official or first-hand sources.

By Triangle Local Newsroom · Published

The downtown Durham skyline under an overcast sky

File photo: Discover Durham (CC BY 4.0), via Wikimedia Commons.

What we know

Confirmed

  • The City of Durham said it was selected for a new Bloomberg Philanthropies housing initiative meant to help the city increase housing supply and expand residents' options. The city posted the announcement Oct. 16, 2026, under the headline "Durham Selected for Bloomberg Housing Initiative to Expand Housing Choices."Confirmed by City of Durham news listing
  • The city said Durham is 1 of 30 municipalities selected and that the program brings funding and expertise.Confirmed by City of Durham news listing
  • The city's announcement said the initiative is anchored in three local government models. It listed San Diego for faster building-application reviews, Austin for accessory dwelling units, and Atlanta for a collaborative effort to restart stalled projects.Confirmed by City of Durham news listing
  • The city said Durham recently launched a pilot program to increase accessory dwelling units for low-income residents. Housing and Neighborhood Services Director Sarah Viñas said the city is expanding accessory dwelling units and other creative housing with support from Bloomberg Philanthropies.Confirmed by City of Durham news listing
  • Mayor Leonardo Williams said housing should bring communities together, that exploring every option to meet residents where they are will be his top priority as mayor, and that he is grateful Bloomberg Philanthropies saw value in the city's work.Confirmed by City of Durham news listing
  • The city said the initiative will be housed within the Bloomberg Cities Idea Exchange.Confirmed by City of Durham news listing
  • Accelerator for America, in an Oct. 15, 2026, release with Bloomberg Philanthropies, said the first 14 municipalities selected include Durham, N.C., and that the program will scale the three models to up to 30 municipalities.Confirmed by Accelerator for America, Oct. 15, 2026
  • Accelerator for America said each selected municipality will receive $450,000 to $750,000 plus operational support to implement one of the three approaches. The city's announcement does not say which dollar amount Durham will receive.Confirmed by Accelerator for America, Oct. 15, 2026; City of Durham news listing

Still unknown

  • The exact dollar amount Durham will receive. The city did not publish one. Accelerator for America gave only the $450,000 to $750,000 range for selected municipalities
  • A start date, staff assignments or a timeline for Durham's accessory-dwelling-unit work under this grant

What happened

Durham has been selected for a Bloomberg Philanthropies housing program aimed at adding more places to live.

The city posted the news Friday, Oct. 16, on its official site. The headline is "Durham Selected for Bloomberg Housing Initiative to Expand Housing Choices." The city said Durham is one of 30 municipalities chosen, and that the program brings funding and expertise to help increase housing supply and expand residents' options.

The city's page does not say how much money Durham will receive.

What Durham says it will do

The city said it recently started a pilot to add accessory dwelling units for low-income residents. Those are smaller homes on the same lot as an existing house, often in a backyard.

Sarah Viñas, the city's Housing and Neighborhood Services director, said Durham's housing challenge needs bold ideas and more choices. With support from Bloomberg Philanthropies, she said, the city is expanding accessory dwelling units and other creative housing so more people can stay in the neighborhoods they already live in.

Mayor Leonardo Williams said housing should be the mechanism that brings communities together. He said exploring every option to meet residents where they are will be his top priority as mayor, and that he is grateful Bloomberg Philanthropies saw value in the city's work.

The national program

The city's announcement said the initiative is built on three models:

  • San Diego, for faster building-application reviews
  • Austin, for accessory dwelling units
  • Atlanta, for a collaborative effort to restart stalled housing projects

Accelerator for America, writing with Bloomberg Philanthropies on Thursday, Oct. 15, listed Durham among the first 14 municipalities selected. That release said the program will take those three models to up to 30 municipalities, and that each selected city will receive $450,000 to $750,000 plus operational support.

The city's own page says Durham is one of 30. It does not pick a number inside that dollar range.

The city said the initiative will sit inside the Bloomberg Cities Idea Exchange.

Why it matters

Durham is growing, and the city says it wants more housing choices, including backyard and other accessory units. This is a national program picking a limited first group of cities. The city's page confirms Durham is in that group and is focused on accessory dwelling units. It does not say how much money Durham will get.

Sources

  1. Durham Selected for Bloomberg Housing Initiative to Expand Housing Choices (city news listing, posted Oct. 16, 2026)

    Official sourcePublished by City of Durham · Checked Oct 18, 2026, 8:20 PM

  2. City of Durham homepage news teaser for the same announcement

    Official sourcePublished by City of Durham · Checked Oct 18, 2026, 8:20 PM

  3. AFA & Bloomberg Philanthropies partner to scale local housing solutions across U.S. cities

    Official sourcePublished by Accelerator for America · Checked Oct 18, 2026, 8:20 PM

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