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Feature Story Written for The Durham VOICE
Durham’s November election raised awareness of a variety of issues and legislations that are pertinent to the city and its residents. A majority of those heavily discussed issues and legislations were presented on the November ballot for Durham voters to decide upon. Some of these including the popular Affordable Housing Bond and the new trainings for Durham police officers. Durham Mayor Steve Schewel further explains how some of the issues and legislations referenced in his 2019 State of the City address and on the November ballot will contribute to wide-spread changes throughout the city.
Cowan: In regards to the Affordable Housing Bond that was on the November ballot, how do you think the impact of this legislation will be felt throughout Durham?
Schewel: It'll take a while for it to roll out, but when the bond program is completed, it will consist of the affordable housing of about fifteen thousand Durham residents approximately.
Cowan: Where exactly in Durham are these houses being bought? Is there a certain area or property that was purchased by the city on which they will be built?
Schewel: Well, there will be eight hundred units that will be replaced or preserved and they will be on Durham Housing Authority property downtown. Plus, there will be two thousand new units. Half of those will be with Durham Housing Authority property in the downtown area and the other half will be in various locations throughout the city. In addition, we're going to stabilize three thousand families in the homes they are in now so that they won't be driven out of their homes by gentrification forces. Also, we're going to be housing, over that period of time, 1,800 homeless families. We're also going to have four hundred homeownership opportunities for first time, low-income homebuyers throughout the city. So it's going to do a lot.
Cowan: How will the “affordability” of these homes be measured?
Schewel: So when we talk about affordable housing, some of the homes are to be affordable for people who are making the average income of someone who lives in the Durham Housing Authority. They're making an average income of about twelve thousand dollars a year. About four hundred of the units will be available to people at that very low level. The other affordable housing units will be available to people whose income is $50,000 or less for a family of four or $25,000 or less for a family of two. In all cases, none of these families will have to pay more than a third of its income for housing. When we say affordable, we mean that no family has to pay more than a third of its income.
Cowan: What is the structure of the housing plan? What mechanisms will be put in place to keep prices affordable?
Schewel: Any housing that receives financing from the housing bond money must be kept permanently affordable. If we use the money for affordable housing, the homes must stay affordable.
Cowan: In regards to the Gap funding mentioned in the 2019 State of the City address, is it reliable? If this gap funding is not reliable, what will be the city’s next option for funding these homes?
Schewel: This fund has been passed by the voters of Durham, with 76 percent support. The voters voted in favor of this bond and it had a majority vote in every single precinct in Durham. The bond has been passed. The money is available, and it won't be spent all at once but gradually over a five year period.
Cowan: What is the timetable for the construction of these affordable homes?
Schewel: The construction will be done in phases, but we want all of the funds to be obligated within the five year period. Some of the construction will begin next year and that will be the smallest portion of it. Then each year following, there will be more and more construction.
Cowan: Are all of the developers and contractors lined up for creating these homes?
Schewel: No, the first contractors have been chosen for the renovation and the creation of new housing units at J.J. Henderson, which is a Durham Housing Authority Community. There will be eighty new housing units that will be put there and the developer for that has been chosen. With the developers, we are committed to a minimum of $130 million spent on historically disadvantaged businesses (minority and women-owned businesses) to be created.
Cowan: How do you believe the Affordable Housing Bond will impact Durham businesses?
Schewel: Well, the whole $95 million affordable housing bond will leverage about another $450 million of construction spending. One of the interesting things is that even if our economy goes into a recession, which I think we all expect in the next few years, this bond money will still be spent in Durham and the city government will be stimulated even during a recession period. I think this will have a very positive effect on the economy.
Cowan: Are there any upcoming legislation/policies that will be enacted that relate to the enhancement of the ecological state of the city or ensuring that the city is eco-friendly?
Schewel: In my State of the City Address in February, I'm going to be laying out what the city is doing in the area of climate change and sustainability. We're doing from a lot, and I'll be laying out that information in detail. The city has a sustainability roadmap and that roadmap on the city’s website has a dashboard and individuals can look at the dashboard and see every single measurement, how we are doing on each of those measurements, and all of the sustainability work that the city is doing now. There are a wide variety of environmental sustainability initiatives. We're doing so many different things, everything from electric buses, solarizing, planting more trees, and more.
Cowan: Now that the light rail system seems to be a dead issue, how will the city find other public transportation options for people who work in other municipalities where they can’t afford to live?
Schewel: We have a planning process underway right now to figure out how we need to make a beautiful phoenix rise from the ashes of the light rail. We need to make sure that we have really good regional transportation. There's a lot of planning that's going on around that now to try to figure out what the best options are. One of them will undoubtedly have to do with bus rapid transit buses, in addition to commuter rail on existing tracks from Raleigh to Durham. Those are both important aspects of the potential plan.
Cowan: In regards to your State of the City Address, you referenced new training that Durham police officers would receive in the fall of 2019. What kind of police practices are you and the city trying to encourage and or discourage in these trainings?
Schewel: Our officers are now all receiving training on racial equity. They are receiving training on procedural justice and de-escalation. The majority of our officers are also getting what's called Crisis Intervention Training so that they are ready to deal with mental health crises that they might encounter.
Cowan: With the increased militarism within police forces in the US, does the city government have much interest in addressing the tactics and weaponry that these officers use?
Schewel: Yes, we are very committed that we will not have a militarized police force.
Cowan: How is the unemployment rate of Durham currently? How is the city addressing the issue? Are there programs/initiatives put in place to help ensure the advancement of the unemployed / employed within their job searches/ jobs?
Schewel: Durham has an extremely low unemployment rate, but we do know that there are people in Durham who are either unemployed or underemployed. That is that they have a job and it’s not a very good job and it doesn't pay them very much money. One of the things that we are doing with the Affordable Housing Bond is using $2.5 million as part of the bond program to train low-income Durham residents, starting first with the residents of the Durham Housing Authority, to get good jobs in construction, property management, and other things that the Affordable Housing Bond will bring. The housing bond is going to create a lot of jobs. We want our residents here in Durham to be able to get those good jobs.
Cowan: When you were running for office, what do you believe that sets you apart from Durham mayors before you?
Schewel: We've had a lot of great mayors. I'm just honored and grateful to be able to serve. You know it's a real privilege to be able to serve the residents in Durham. I came here in 1969 to go to Duke (University) as a freshman, and I've stayed here for 50 years. I've raised my children here. They've gone through Durham Public Schools, and I’ve just had a wonderful life here. It's great to be able to give back to the community that has given so much to me.
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