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Council reviews Hayti Promise stabilization contract as residents warn of bond-driven gentrification
Summary
Council members reviewed a contract to use parts of a $10 million package to stabilize residential and commercial structures in the Fayetteville Street corridor; residents and council members warned that park bond investments could accelerate gentrification without anti-displacement measures.
Thomas Crow Albritton, a neighborhood resident, told the council he supported park renovations but warned bond-funded upgrades would raise property values and accelerate displacement in East Durham, citing rising rents ("rent across Durham has risen by 31% since 2019") and an increase in people living unsheltered. He urged the city to pair investments with anti-displacement strategies.
Council then discussed a proposed partnership with Hayti Promise intended to stabilize legacy properties along the Fayetteville Street corridor. Summer Allston, project manager for the Fayetteville Street Corridor improvements, said the contract would draw from the revenue-replacement portion of an earlier grant tranche and that the $10 million package had been split into pieces (roughly $2.7 million and $6.3 million in two tranches). She described program elements including owner education, technical assistance and direct construction to address code violations.
Clarence Harris, acting assistant director of Neighborhood Improvement Services, said staff are working from an existing backlog of about 20 properties with code violations, that some owners have been contacted while others are harder to reach, and that stabilization costs vary (staff cited rough ranges of $20,000–$80,000 per property). Harris explained the program typically uses compliance agreements and noted a lien would be placed only after an invoiced repair or when the housing appeals/ordinance process authorizes city repairs.
Council members acknowledged the program could ease historic disinvestment but also reiterated concerns about displacement. Mayor Pro Tem Middleton said the $10 million is "a drop in the bucket" but welcomed targeted investment; Council member Cook and others urged the city to design measures to keep wealth from accelerating off the corridor.
What happens next: The contract and scope will advance through the consent or general business process with continued council oversight; staff highlighted the need for careful due diligence and ongoing communication with property owners.
Attribution: Thomas Crow Albritton; Summer Allston, project manager; Clarence Harris, acting assistant director, Neighborhood Improvement Services.
