We are fundraising to keep Durham Affordable
As we approach the end of 2020, in retrospect, I can only say, “WOW, what a year!” Despite all the maladies associated with a year of a national pandemic, DCLT continues to provide stable, below market, affordable, quality housing options to over 300 individuals in Durham’s urban core neighborhoods. With the help of many, we’ve been able to responded quickly and remain fluid in our response to changing situations to have a very successful year. Here are a few of DCLT 2020 highlights:
- Office Closure. Nearly 80% of DCLT rental residents walk thru our front door to pay rent, request a work order or just to chat. This is important to DCLT’s resident engagement and we have missed this contact tremendously since closing our office to the public in March 2020 in response to government mandate.
- Resident support and outreach has increased 10-fold as we respond by distributing food, assisting with unemployment applications,
- Our supporters came thru in a big way when DCLT reached out for help with a Rental Hardship Fund to support rent payments when many of our residents lost employment or hours. We raised nearly $80,000 and were able to pay rents for one or more months for 78 households.
- DCLT’s Construction team has continued to renovate existing affordable rental housing and will complete gut renovations on 18 housing units this year. All renovations require temporary relocation of tenants during renovations and back upon completion, adding an additional layer of complexity.
- Increased DCLT’s organizational capacity with the hiring of both a bilingual Office Manager and an Asset Manager.
- Held the second annual Dig for DCLT day was held in late October and attracted 45 volunteers to help spruce up the curb appeal of three DCLT property sites.
As a 33-year-old nonprofit organization, we know that we can only be successful with the support of our partners and supporters like you. As in past years, I appeal to you to support the work we do… and do well. Work that means so much to people who have so little.
Please make a gift today to help us reach our End of Year $30,000 Fundraising goal. Funds raised will support Durham’s ONLY permanent affordable housing developer and nonprofit community land trust. Unrestricted funds help sustain the work. They enable us to pay staff, provide property maintenance, and maintain resident services for 200+ rental properties.