WHEREAS, the Durham Housing Authority has filed 7 times more summary ejectment cases than Greensboro’s Housing Authority; 20 times more than Charlotte’s Housing Authority in 2019; and 35 times more than Raleigh’s Housing Authority in 2019.
WHEREAS, the Durham Housing Authority has attempted to evict 60% of its households so far in 2019, compared to 5% of households in Greensboro, 1.2% of households in Charlotte, and 1.7% of households in Raleigh.
WHEREAS, the City of Durham just passed the $95 million affordable housing bond, most of which will go to Durham Housing Authority.
WHEREAS, historical trends indicate that the number of evictions INCREASE over the holidays, which puts families and vulnerable individuals in even more precarity.
WHEREAS, the Richmond, Virginia Housing Authority enacted a moratorium on evictions in November after attempting to evict 36.5% of its households, meanwhile Durham has attempted to evict more than 60%.
WHEREAS, Durham has adopted a Community Safety and Wellness Taskforce and access to affordable housing is an essential component to safety and wellness.
WHEREAS, there is a statewide and nationwide crisis of displacement, gentrification, and attacks on poor and working class communities, communities of color, disabled people, families, youth, and elders.
WHEREAS, the City of Durham seeks to be a progressive beacon for the South on issues of housing, policing, employment, and more.
THEREFORE BE IT RESOLVED THAT, we the undersigned, offer our voice in support of the goals of the Emergency Committee to End the Durham Eviction Crisis and urge DHA, Durham City Council, Durham Board of County Commissioners, Durham Clerk of Court Archie Smith, Durham Mayor Steve Schewel, and Durham District Attorney's Office:
1. To enforce an immediate moratorium on evictions of affordable housing tenants over the holidays and winter months, to begin December 16, 2019 and extend at least through March 31, 2020. This includes directing the Clerk of Court not to accept eviction petitions from DHA, directing the sheriff not to serve eviction notices to affordable housing residents, and that the District Attorney’s office cease prosecution of eviction filings,
2. To convene a series of community forums where tenants vulnerable to evictions and those currently in eviction hearings are able to express their grievances and receive answers for their questions directed at the city,
3. To ensure right to counsel for all affordable housing tenants, which could include increased financial support for the Durham eviction diversion program,
4. Reroute the thousands of dollars in legal costs and filing fees that DHA would have spent during the holiday season to file evictions, to instead allocate these funds to implement the demands of the Community Safety and Wellness taskforce.
INITIAL SIGNERS:
* for identification purposes only
CAPE (Community Alliance for Public Education)
Durham Association of Educators
Durham City Workers Union, UE Local 150
Durham For All
Durham Solidarity Center
National Domestic Workers Alliance – We Dream in Black
N.C. Raise Up
Jewish Voice for Peace - Triangle NC
Southern Fried Queer Pride
Southern Vision Alliance (SVA)
Pierce Freelon, candidate for NC State Senate, District 20
AJ Williams, co-chair, Durham Chapter of BYP100*
Joe Lewis, Hayti resident
Elena Everett, West End resident
Loan Tran, Old North Durham resident
Beau Cronmartie, Guess Rd. Resident, Youth Organizing Institute*
Nadeen Bir, Club Blvd resident
Emerson Goldstein, Durham resident
Alexis Clark, Durham resident
Nicholas Graber-Grace, Durham resident, teacher Hillside High School*
Elizabeth Simpson, Durham resident, Carolina Justice Policy Center*
Bennett Carpenter, Durham resident, Durham for All
Dante Strobino, University Estates resident, Durham Workers Assembly
Sherrill Hudson, Durham resident