Durham: Housing Authority outlines shift from public housing to vouchers

Confirmed

• The official Durham City Council work-session agenda for Thursday, Oct. 22, 2026, listed a 1 p.m. meeting at 101 City Hall Plaza and, as item 10, "Durham Housing Authority (DHA) - State of DHA," a 30-minute presentation.Confirmed by Durham City Council work-session agenda, Oct. 22, 2026
• A city staff memo posted with that item said the motion was only to receive the presentation. It described DHA as a public housing agency with 894 public-housing units on eight properties, 645 other affordable units the authority owns, more than 300 units in finished joint projects, more than 500 under construction, and about 2,430 Housing Choice Vouchers.Confirmed by City of Durham memo posted with Oct. 22, 2026, work-session item 10
• The attached slide deck is titled "Forever Home Durham Bond Update / The State of DHA" and is dated Oct. 22, 2026. It says the purpose is to update Council on the state of DHA, including answers to concerns from Council and the community, and that the item is information only.Confirmed by DHA presentation posted with Oct. 22, 2026, work-session item 10
• The slides say DHA is committed to repositioning its public-housing portfolio. They list rental-assistance demonstration conversions of existing properties "to the voucher assistance platform," redevelopment of large sites, and transfers of assistance and project-based vouchers that let residents move into newly built housing.Confirmed by DHA presentation, Oct. 22, 2026, slide 11
• The slides say that 10 years ago DHA's portfolio included 1,887 public-housing units and that the number today is 894.Confirmed by DHA presentation, Oct. 22, 2026, slide 12
• The slides name McDougald Terrace, Cornwallis and Oxford Manor as DHA's three largest properties, all more than 50 years old and never substantially rehabilitated. They cite a 2022 physical-needs assessment that recommended $60 million in capital work over five years, and they say DHA typically receives $2 million to $3 million a year in capital funds.Confirmed by DHA presentation, Oct. 22, 2026, slide 7
• On transfers of assistance, the slides say 197 of McDougald Terrace's 360 original units, 99 of Oxford Manor's 172 original units, and 49 of Cornwallis Road's 200 original units are on track to be removed from the public-housing inventory through RAD and Section 18 transfers.Confirmed by DHA presentation, Oct. 22, 2026, slides 36-38
• The Downtown and Neighborhood Plan slides say the goals include preserving existing affordable units, adding more mixed-income housing, and guaranteeing that families already living at DHA sites have priority for new units and a right to return.Confirmed by DHA presentation, Oct. 22, 2026, slide 13
• The slides say 2026 public-housing rent collection is 70 percent so far and that residents currently owe $2.75 million in back rent. They say DHA has increased lease enforcement aimed at tenants with high balances and at disruptive or criminal behavior.Confirmed by DHA presentation, Oct. 22, 2026, slides 42 and 47
• The memo says voters approved a $95 million housing bond in November 2019 and that the City of Durham's share of that bond included $59 million for the first phase of the DHA Downtown and Neighborhood Plan. It also says the City Council approved a $1.5 million, zero-interest loan to DHA in June 2025.Confirmed by City of Durham memo posted with Oct. 22, 2026, work-session item 10
• Durham Housing Authority's staff page lists Ashanti Brown as interim chief executive officer. The posted memo and slides do not name the person who delivered the briefing.Confirmed by Durham Housing Authority senior staff page