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Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit: Fiscal Year 2026 Budget Requests

  • Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit
  • 4 hours ago
  • 2 min read
Durham city hall

Dear City Manager Ferguson and County Manager Hager,


The Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit (CAHT) is a grassroots organization with 612 supporters committed to supporting programs, initiatives, and policies that increase affordable housing and public transportation options in Durham City and its surrounding county. Our advocacy encompasses consideration of all social drivers (i.e., housing inventory, rental availability, eviction avoidance, health outcomes, AMI household income levels, environmental impacts, etc.) to promote affordable homeownership, providing neighborhood stability, diversity, and equitable wealth-building, housing security, and safety for all Durham residents. As such, we would like to provide our local government leaders with input on specific items of interest for the FY2025-2026 budget planning process.


The four FY2025-2026 City, County, or County-only budget priorities that our organization has endorsed previously and continues to advocate for in this year’s budget process are as follows.


Request #1: Continue funding the GoDurham Free Fares program, which helps alleviate the financial pressure on individuals and families facing economic challenges. The cost would be $1.5 million. Please note that the Coalition also adamantly opposes $2.00 fare proposals, as the increased fares would harm Durham’s struggling residents, who tend to use public transportation.


Request #2: Fully fund the HEART program, which provides valuable outreach and tangible support for residents facing eviction and homelessness.


Request #3: Maintain the 2-cent tax increase to the property tax rate implemented in the FY2021- 2022 budget. This increase is needed for:


  1. Maintaining progress on developing and redeveloping affordable housing in Durham’s transit opportunity area for households at or below 60% Area Median Income (AMI);

  2. Expansion of supportive housing program opportunities;

  3. Continuation of the Down Payment Assistance Program for homeownership;

  4. Funding the Repairs program for Durham’s low-income seniors;

  5. Establishing a contingency fund to enable short-term loans to non-profits and city programs expecting HUD reimbursements; and

  6. Implementing a rental assistance program for low-income residents to help offset the loss of federal-funded vouchers and other lost funding, thereby supporting Durham’s most vulnerable citizens.


Request #4: Continue the Low-Income Homeowners Tax Credit Program at its current funding level.


Additionally, CAHT requests funding for the following budget items, which are new requests for FY2025- 2026.


Request #5: The redevelopment project for the 505 West Chapel Hill Street police headquarters is progressing slowly. However, the Coalition requests that subsidies be included in the budget to increase the number of affordable housing units in the Peebles Corporation proposal from 110 to 130, representing a 20-unit increase that requires subsidies.


Request #6: The allocation of $5 million to thoroughly remediate toxic chemicals (i.e., lead) in the affected parks.


We appreciate your consideration of our coalition community budgetary requests and are available to answer any questions regarding the information in this document. Thank you in advance for consideration of CAHT's requests as a member of community of organizations concerned about Durham residents and the area's affordable housing.

 

Sincerely,


Cynthia Williams, Chair of the Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit of Durham

 
 
 
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