The Durham Choice Promise

The Durham Choice Promise

Durham Choice is a partnership between the Durham Housing Authority and the City of Durham to redevelop aging public housing in downtown Durham into a vibrant, mixed-income community. The program is supported by a $40 million Choice Neighborhoods Implementation Grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Through the Durham Choice program, DHA and the City will: 

  • Replace 214 units of aging public housing at 519 E. Main and Liberty Street Apartments with 555 mixed-income units, including 348 affordable and 207 market-rate apartments.
  • Ensure that all current public housing residents can return to the redeveloped property if they choose to do so.
  • Provide residents with health services and educational and employment training opportunities that enable residents to pursue their personal goals.
  • Invest in the surrounding neighborhood by providing small business assistance and supporting community institutions.


Get the latest resident news

Get the latest resident news

The redevelopment of 519 E. Main and Liberty Street involves a lot of changes for current residents. Because all of the existing buildings will be demolished, residents will be temporarily relocated during the redevelopment process. The Durham Housing Authority will identify temporary housing and pay relocation-related expenses. Check out the latest news about relocation and services available to residents.

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Know your rights 

Know your rights 

Residents who are temporarily relocated as part of the 519 E. Main and Liberty Street redevelopment have the right to return to the site when new units become available. Residents won’t be required to undergo any additional screening and won’t be asked to pay more in rent.

To be eligible to return, residents must remain compliant with their leases while living in Durham Housing Authority properties. This includes paying rent on time, completing annual recertification and following rules of conduct. Residents who are relocated using Tenant Protection Vouchers are also expected to stay current on their portion of the rent and follow their landlord’s rules of conduct.

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The Durham Housing Authority and the City of Durham are committed to building great housing in great neighborhoods. The 214 aging public housing units at 519 E. Main and Liberty Street will be replaced by a vibrant mixed-income community with over 550 apartments, including 348 affordable and 207 market-rate units. The new community will be located in Durham’s booming downtown and within easy walking distance of the historic Hayti neighborhood.

Housing Development 

Housing Development 

Neighborhood Connections 

The Durham Housing Authority and the City understand that the neighborhood where housing is located is just as important as the quality of the housing itself. One of the key goals of the Durham Choice program is to reintegrate the 519 E. Main and Liberty site into the larger fabric of downtown, and to reconnect downtown to adjacent communities that have not benefited equally from downtown Durham’s growth. Durham Choice funds will invest in the surrounding neighborhood by providing small business assistance and supporting community institutions.

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