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.

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.