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DHA outlines housing overhaul as Durham council presses for repairs, tenant protections

New housing is taking shape, but roughly 3,000 open work orders and concerns about tenant protections drew pointed questions during Durham’s latest council work session.

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DHA outlines housing overhaul as Durham council presses for repairs, tenant protections
Source: Durham Housing Authority
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Durham Housing Authority on Thursday outlined plans to move more residents into new housing, while facing questions about roughly 3,000 open work orders and whether tenants are getting the help they need now.

During the City Council’s afternoon work session, interim CEO Ashanti Brown described an agency trying to replace aging apartments, recover from staffing shortages, and stretch federal funding that hasn’t kept pace with its needs.

Council members welcomed the redevelopment progress, but differed over how much emphasis to put on those gains when some residents still face serious problems in their homes.

“I’m really struck by how much tenants are missing in this conversation,” Council Member Chelsea Cook said.

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