Eviction Policy Reform | Proposal to the DHA Board of Commissioners

On January 27th, 2021, the Durham CAN Affordable Housing Team held an action at the monthly Durham Housing Authority (DHA) Board of Commissioners Meeting and spoke during the public comment period about our proposal with the goal of changing the current eviction policies at the DHA. 

We asked that DHA: (1) change the policy on the “time of filing” to extend the court filing date to at least 90 days after the rent is due; and (2) require direct and documented communication between the property manager and resident prior to filing an eviction notice. Increasing the time before filing will allow for recently proposed eviction interventions to take place and will decrease the long-term harm for some residents as well as lower overall evictions which many elected leaders -- including our Mayor -- have repeatedly referred to publicly as “a crisis.”

Since the January Board of Commissioners meeting, the Durham CAN Affordable Housing Team has engaged with DHA leadership and staff on multiple occasions to discuss long-term eviction procedure and policy. As the AH Action team moves to close this phase of our eviction action and develop new strategies, we ask you to JOIN US on Wednesday, March 24th at 5:30 pm to affirm our two procedure/policy recommendations to prevent eviction filings in the long term and highlighting how CAN’s recommendations serve the common self-interests we share with DHA.

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Public Comment | Concerns About The Lack of Public Involvement in Redevelopment Planning for 519 Main Street and Liberty Street Apartments

Date: February 16, 2021

 

To: Housing Authority of City of Durham

The City of Durham, Community Development Department

North Carolina State Historic Preservation Officer

 

Re: Non-concurrence with MOA for the resolution of effects at 519 Main Street (formerly Oldham Towers) and Liberty Street Apartments.

The public notice and documentation standards outlined in Section 106 of the National Historic Preservation Act of 1966 (NHPA) are important tools “for citizens to lend their voice in protecting and maintaining historic properties in their communities” -- in fact, the regulations consider the views of the public as essential to the Section 106 process.  What makes a property or building historic is not simply the external validation or labeling of an outside entity, but because of the people who inhabit it, the lives they built there and the community they created within that space.  Considering the import of public engagement in this process, the significant investment of public funding and public trust in the City and Durham Housing Authority’s (DHA) redevelopment plans, and the failure of the City and DHA to meet the public notice and documentation requirements as outlined in 36 CFR 800, we cannot concur with the MOA.

During the November 19, 2020 discussion with staff from the City’s Office of Community Development (CDD) and DHA, Durham CAN raised concerns about the lack of public notice as required under 36 CFR 800.2(d); the receipt of the MOA with the first page removed; the lack of documentation provided to the public as required under 36 CFR 800.11, the lack of communication about the MOA with current Liberty Street/Oldham Tower residents, neighbors (such as First Presbyterian Church -- a Durham CAN member institution and neighbor), the City’s Affordable Housing Implementation Committee and other organizations that work on issues of housing or preservation in Durham. We submitted our written comments to CDD.

In our follow up conversation with CDD and DHA staff on Monday, February 15, 2021, we requested that DHA and CDD publicly republish the complete MOA and the documentation listed under 36 CFR 800.11(e) -- which were not included in the City’s public notice -- for the minimum statutory period as a way to cure the public notice deficiencies. They agreed to do so going forward but did not want to restart a public notice process.  As such, we reaffirm our non-concurrence with the MOA.  We appreciate the invitation from CDD and DHA to discuss how to avoid these missteps in the future, and to ensure that redevelopment of public housing located on public land, funded by public subsidy and taxes paid by the public, and administered by public agencies, can better acknowledge and affirm the expectation and demand that communities be the drivers of their destiny.

Sincerely,

Durham CAN Strategy Team and Durham CAN Clergy Caucus Co-Chairs

Link to PDF Version

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Lincoln Community Health Covid Vaccine Clinic Volunteer Sign Up

Please consider volunteering at Lincoln Community Health Clinic COVID Vaccine clinics in the available slots via Sign Up Genius. (new dates and times will be added in the future)

https://www.signupgenius.com/go/10c0e45abae2faafe3-lincoln

Contact:

Dr. Amie Koch

[email protected]

919-451-6720

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Report from 1/27/21 DHA Board Action + Next Steps

"Zoom meeting with DHA is full."
"Couldn't get in."
"I'm in the waiting room."
"Getting a message the meeting is already at capacity!"
"Couldn't get in -- want a full report :)"


- A compilation of text threads from Durham CAN leaders the evening of January 27, 2021, based on true events.

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Statement for the JJ Seniors Bond Proposal 1/28/21

DHA is proposing to issue tax-exempt, multifamily housing revenue bonds worth $9M for financing the construction of JJ Seniors, an elderly, affordable housing project with 20 out of 80 units dedicated to low income.

We have been told by both Mayor Schewel when we were asked to approve the Affordable Housing Bond and by DHA management and members of this board that redevelopment and conversion of public housing units to project based vouchers via RAD is the only option to address the maintenance and renovation needs of DHA’s entire portfolio. We hear that new revenue streams will not only provide extra dollars for maintenance, but also new programming opportunities for residents.

Yet, we are learning that redevelopment via RAD isn’t turning out to be the panacea it was portrayed to be. 1) We were told that units would have 1:1 replacements, but 3 1-bedroom units is not the same thing as 1 3-bedroom unit. 2) Despite promises that residents won’t be permanently displaced, we know people who have been. 3) We are learning of actual costs exceeding budgeted and 4) We are hearing about displacement of residents due to serious structural  issues in the newly renovated units following RAD conversion.

With this being just the beginning of the redevelopment process, I ask you, how do you think it is going and are you, as members of the board, providing enough oversight, the thing you were appointed by the City to do?  

The members of our community served by DHA have few options when it comes to housing. They are more likely to be affected by the harmful process of eviction. But being low income and having fewer options does not mean they deserve less dignity and respect.  As members of the Board, as management of DHA, as taxpayers and community members of this city, we all have a shared responsibility for making sure that promises made are kept and the dignity and respect of each person is upheld.

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Report from January 21st Metro Council + Next Steps

Durham CAN held its first Metro Council Meeting of 2021 via Zooom on Thursday, January 21.  We kicked off the meeting by welcoming our new Strategy Team co-chairs Mr. Kevin McNamee, Mr. Cullen McKenney, and Ms. Ketty Thelemaque. Long-time co-chairs Rev. Dr. Herbert Davis and Rev. Dr. Timothy Conder will serve their final year on the strategy team in 2021, and we cannot thank them enough for their years of hard work and dedication to our work.

We also met this semester's interns: Rachel Hefner, a senior at Meredith College pursuing her Bachelor's of Social Work field study requirements; TJ Bryant, a first year Master of Divinity Student at Duke Divinity School where he is in the Thriving Communities Fellowship; and Erin Light, an Architecture student at the University of Southern California with a passion for spatial justice. We are so excited to start the new year with this dedicated group at our helm.

At the meeting, we also heard updates from the Criminal Justice Reform and Affordable Housing Action Teams. The CJR team will continue its gun violence listening sessions campaign and its Covid-propelled decarceration campaign into 2021. The Affordable Housing Team will have its first major action on January 27th @5:30pm at the Durham Housing Authority (DHA) Board Meeting. Durham CAN members will speak during the public comment period about our proposal to the DHA Board of Commissioners with the goal of changing the current eviction policies at the DHA. We ask that DHA: (1) change the policy on the “time of filing” to extend the court filing date to at least 90 days after the rent is due; and (2) require direct and documented communication between the property manager and resident prior to filing an eviction notice. Increasing the time before filing will allow for recently proposed eviction interventions to take place and will decrease the long-term harm for some residents as well as lower overall evictions which many elected leaders -- including our Mayor -- have repeatedly referred to publicly as “a crisis.”

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Proposal for Changes to DHA Eviction Filing Policies and Practices

Date: Monday, January 18, 2021

 

To: Mr. Daniel C. Hudgins, Chairperson

Durham Housing Authority Board of Commissioners

330 E. Main St., Durham, NC 27701

 

Subject: Changes to DHA Eviction Filing Policies and Practices

In 2019, the year prior to the pandemic, there were 867 eviction filings by the Durham Housing Authority (DHA).  Eviction filings have serious consequences for residents.  Even if a judgment is not rendered against the resident, the eviction filing shows up in the individual’s public record for seven years.  This documented history can have a detrimental effect on DHA’s imperative that residents  “move in, move up, and move out” of public housing.  Landlords, employers, and financial institutions search these public records to make decisions about whether to rent, employ, insure, and/or loan money to individuals.  In addition to the complex negative impact on individuals and families, evictions are costly to DHA, taxpayers, and the City of Durham.

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Welcoming Rachel

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Public Comment | Durham Housing Authority 2021 Annual Plan & 5-Year Plan

Date: January 4, 2021

To: Ms. Ashanti Brown, Durham Housing Authority

330 E. Main St., Durham, NC 27701

Subject: WRITTEN COMMENT - FY2021 Annual PHA Plan & 5-Year Plan

In 1998, the US Congress established the public housing agency (PHA) plan to ensure “that the PHA is accountable to the local community for choices it makes.”  Our comments highlight specific recommendations that the Durham Housing Authority (DHA) should consider to increase accountability for the significant investments of tax-payer funds including:

  • Publishing complete information for all  prior and current RAD Conversions on the DHA website.
  • Prioritizing the organization and training of a Resident Advisory Board and Resident Councils as required under federal law.
  • Revising the Durham Housing Authority Downtown Neighborhood Plan (DDNP) to incorporate feedback from long-time homeowners and community members about what the plan gets wrong and is missing.
  • Presenting a financial update at the next DHA Board of Commissioners meeting on how the RAD conversions of Damar Court and Morreene Road have generated funding that is being used to address maintenance issues in other DHA communities.
  • Providing a briefing to the City of Durham’s Affordable Housing Bond Implementation Committee on the return of investment of City funds granted to DHA since 2017.

Thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on these plans.  In the future, please consider how your scheduling of public hearings and public comment impacts religious and cultural holiday observances.  A public review and comment period that falls over during the busiest months for clergy leaders and community members prevents meaningful public participation in the process.

Sincerely,

Durham Congregations, Associations and Neighborhoods

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Public Comment | Durham Housing Authority Moving To Work Application

Date: January 5, 2020

Attn: Ms. Ashanti Brown, Durham Housing Authority 

        330 E. Main St., Durham, NC 27701

Subject: MTW WRITTEN COMMENT

The Moving to Work Demonstration program (MTW) is an opportunity for Public Housing Authorities (PHA) to participate in testing new policies aimed at 1) reducing the cost to the PHA of administering rent policies, 2) incentivizing families to work or prepare to work, and 3) increase housing choices for low-income families.  The Durham Housing Authority (DHA) is applying to be a part of Cohort #2: Rent reform with the desire to test a Tiered Rent policy.  Thus, a DHA resident in the treatment group would pay rent within an income tier and that rent would be the same until the next recertification in three years.   DHA has suggested that the cost reductions of not having to recertify every year and the flexibility to use existing PHA and Housing Choice Voucher (HCV) funds would allow them to fund 4 new programs: 1) resident support services 2) increase funding for Project Based Vouchers (PBV)  3) increase landlord incentives, and 4) pre-development costs. However, no new funding for such programs will be provided as part of participation in the program.

We have no comment about the merits of MTW or the expansion; however, we believe it is not the right time for the Durham Housing Authority to apply to participate in the program for the following reasons:

  • We fully support an increase in resident services and increasing the number of families DHA is able to assist with more PBVs; but, with no new money being provided to the agencies chosen to participate in the program, we question where this money will come from. A large portion of DHA’s communities have been failing the Physical Assessment Subsystem (PASS) for many years. Resident inspections at Hoover Road in 2019 and the carbon monoxide crisis at McDougald Terrace in 2020 confirm the deteriorating conditions that families in these communities live in. The top priority for DHA should be ensuring that all units across all its properties are in safe and livable conditions.  
  • The tiered rent system as described at the end of the application would create a system in which some families end up paying more than 30% of their rent if their monthly income is less than the midpoint of the tier.  A family with an income of $5,000 places them in tier 3 and a rent of $156 per month or 37% of their monthly income. 
  • As of January 2, 2021 DHA has 13 open positions listed on their website including the person who will manage the Jobs Plus Program that is set to launch on February 15 (according to the 2021 Annual Plan on page 17). We are concerned with DHA’s capacity to take on a new program while negotiating a recovery policy with HUD for the “Troubled Agency” designation as well as managing existing and new programs like ROSS and Jobs Plus.
  • DHA has been designated a “Troubled Agency” under the Public Housing Assessment System due in large part to the PASS scores. According to the Moving to Work Operations Notice ( FR-5994-N-05), “MTW agencies will not be scored in PHAS unless and until HUD develops a MTW-specific system or successor …”.  This would deny the public and its residents the one way of reviewing the overall performance of their local housing authority including the physical assessment of its units, potentially leading to a further erosion of trust within the community.

We thank you for the opportunity to submit comments on the MTW Plan and Application.

Sincerely,

 

Durham Congregations, Associations and Neighborhoods

Link to PDF Version

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Welcoming TJ

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Our holiday wish for you: REST | December 2020

"Caring for myself is not self-indulgence. It is self-preservation, and that is an act of political warfare." -Audre Lorde

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Public Comment | $15.4 Million JJ Henderson Bond Approval

Date: October 22, 2020

To: Durham City Council

Re: Public Comments on Work Session Agenda Item #25 Approval of $15.4 Million Tax-Exempt Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds for JJ Henderson Towers 

On Wednesday September 30th, Durham CAN leaders participated in a public hearing advertised on the Durham Housing Authority (DHA’s) website as an opportunity to comment on draft revisions and amendments to DHA plans and policies.  Many were surprised to learn that there were actually three separate hearings being conducted, including one for DHA’s issuance of $15.4 million of tax-exempt bonds to finance the sale of JJ Henderson Towers.  The Certificate and Summary submitted by DHA Board Chair, Mr. Dan Hudgins reflects one public comment.  Considering that over 40 people participated in the hearing, many may not have commented on the bond items because no meeting agenda was published prior to the meeting and while a public notice was published in The Herald, the notice wasn’t published on DHA’s website.

Ms. Ladd’s comment highlights a continued and growing concern about the level of transparency the public should expect from DHA and the level of accountability that we should expect you to hold DHA to.  Ms. Ladd’s comment -- specifically her request for access to the project contracts and evidence of resident input for a Rental Assistance Demonstration (RAD) project -- were not addressed, and the information is not on the DHA website. Instead, Ms. Ladd received a 7-page FAQ about RAD.  However, when CAN made the same information request to the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, within the hour we received a 76-page response that included the project’s tax credit application, bond allocation, sale terms and list of 50 attachments including market studies, term sheets, commitment letters, relocation plans, and contracts.  

DHA, while a separate legal entity from the City of Durham, is the City’s largest provider of low-income housing -- a precious resource not solely because of the scarcity of the units, but because of the lives of the adults and children who call them home.  You appoint the Durham Housing Authority’s Board of Commissioners, who hire, fire and review the performance of the DHA CEO.  You approve City funding to DHA.  You approve tax-exempt bonds, and you establish and enforce a housing code to ensure that tax-payers are not subsidizing slum conditions.  In addition to the concerns we raised with DHA in advance of the September 30th Public Hearing, we’ve attached questions regarding this item and additional issues of concern. We look forward to your response.

Sincerely, 

Durham Congregations, Associations and Neighborhoods

 

  1. Will there be a new public hearing for this Work Session Item? If so, what information will DHA make publicly accessible prior to the new hearing?  How will the Certificate and Summary accurately reflect the response to the public comment?
  2. During our October 20th meeting with Mr. Anthony Scott and Ms. Ashanti Brown, we were surprised to learn that the City’s Affordable Housing Implementation Committee -- which you instituted to advise the Community Development Department on the implementation of the Affordable Housing Investment Plan -- has not weighed in on the bond funding for the sale of JJ Henderson or Oakley Square.  Considering that a significant portion of City’s Affordable Housing Investment Plan is the redevelopment of DHA properties as outlined in the DHA Downtown & Neighborhood Plan (DDNP), and considering the $ 2.9 million from the City of Durham Dedicated Housing Funds awarded to DHA/DVI as a loan to the new owners of JJ Henderson Tower for development of the project, when will the Committee have an opportunity to advise you on the City’s financial investment in this sale?
  3. In our October 10th public comments on the conveyance of 505 W. Chapel Hill Street to West Chapel Hill Development LLC, we also expressed our deep concern and disappointment at the delays in the disposition of City-owned, vacant lots in the Hayti community and the community engagement program that you committed to create and implement in 2017 to provide meaningful opportunities for the Durham community to contribute input in connection with the redevelopment of the former site of the Fayetteville Street Projects and the surrounding area.  When and how do you plan to move forward on both of these items?
  4. As of July 2020, DHA had over 2,000 work orders for maintenance requests.  Will future funding from the City be contingent on DHA’s response to maintenance requests? Will the City’s Neighborhood Improvement Services Department continue to offer support to DHA to address inspections and repairs as it did during the December 2019 carbon monoxide crisis at McDougald Terrace?
  5. Page 81 of the July DHA Board of Commissioners Packet includes minutes from the June 17 2020 meeting of the Operations Committee.  During that meeting, Mr. Scott outlined a strategy to use City funds that DHA received for public housing communities (like McDougald Terrace) to be counted as repayment towards a $3.5 Million debt stemming from a 2005 Office of Inspector General (OIG) Audit. Does this strategy require City Council’s approval? If the City funds are for repairs that have not been completed, can the City funds be counted toward repayment to OIG?

PDF Version

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Fayette Place Silent Vigil Walk: What's Your ONE WORD?

THANK YOU for coming!

Take a breath, reflect on what you saw & share ONE WORD that describes how you feel about what you just experienced. You can share your 'ONE WORD' with us a few ways:

Visit www.menti.com and use the code 91 94 14 9

Share your ONE WORD with us here

Use the link or scan the QR code below.

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Fayette Place Silent Vigil Walk Reminder Checklist

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City Council Public Comments | 505 W Chapel Hill Street Sale

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Welcoming Erin

 

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Public Comment | Durham Housing Authority Annual Plan

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Public Comment: Sale of Former Police Headquarters

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Durham CAN News & Updates | September 2020

Durham mother faces eviction by Durham Housing Authority | Raleigh News &  Observer

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Durham CAN News & Updates | August 2020

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Follow The Money & The Data: Our Follow-up to Durham County Public Health Director Rodney Jenkins

August 7, 2020

Mr. Rodney Jenkins

Director, Durham County Health Department

Dear Director Jenkins,

Thank you for your recent reply to our letter of June 30. You responded to three questions from us, and we briefly address each of those responses here. 

First, we asked you about publishing current and future testing data and results specific to the Durham County Detention Facility. You replied that the information could be found via a link on the Durham County Coronavirus Datahub to the North Carolina Department of Health and Human Services.  However, correctional facilities are not listed on the site unless there is an outbreak. We believe that the most appropriate and transparent policy would be to list the number of tests given along with the number of positive and negative results regardless of an outbreak (even if those numbers are ‘0’).  We understand that Sheriff Birkhead currently provides you with this data, so publication is not overly burdensome nor does it violate privacy rights. In fact, the publication of this data would be consistent with the Covid-19 information published by the  NC Department of Public Safety for all its facilities (number of tests, positives, negatives). We ask you again to publish these numbers for the Durham Detention Facility. 

Second, we asked if you would provide tests or advocate for funding to test all residents at the Detention Facility, and you replied “yes.” As a follow up we ask you to clarify: are you committing to provide tests to all residents? If not, how do you plan to advocate for funding for the tests? We are aware that Durham County is receiving a second payment of CARES Act funds from the State in the amount of $6,239,422. As you are aware, we have been in communication with Deputy County Manager Jodi Miller about the plans for these funds, and she has indicated that Durham County Staff must request funds for COVID-related expenses so that a plan can be drafted and approved by the County Commissioners. Will you ensure that the amount that you and Sheriff Birkhead calculate is needed to perform COVID testing for all staff and residents, current and new arrivals, at the Durham County Detention Facility is included in this plan?  Further, how can we help you to advocate for such funding?

Finally, we asked you for a virtual meeting in the next month and you asked for additional time given your responsibilities as Director of Public Health. Of course we appreciate all your hard work during this pandemic and we gratefully accept your proposal for a meeting in the next few months. 

Sincerely,

Durham Congregations Associations and Neighborhoods

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Durham CAN Urges The Durham Housing Authority To Extend Eviction Moratorium

July 24, 2020

Anthony Scott, CEO, Durham Housing Authority
Durham Housing Authority Board of Commissioners

Dear Mr. Scott and Durham Housing Authority Board of Commissioners,

On July 16th, the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis (HACA) announced an extension to the moratorium on evictions due to unpaid rent until November 2, 2020. Earlier this month, WinnCompanies, a major affordable housing landlord in Massachusetts, halted evictions through the end of the year. We write to you today, to urge the Durham Housing Authority (DHA) to follow the lead of (HACA) and WinnCompanies and extend the moratorium on evictions for DHA residents.

As part of the CARES Act, a federal moratorium on evictions was established that affected public housing properties, but that moratorium is ending next week. Nothing has changed since March. The pandemic is still with us. As of yesterday North Carolina had over 1075,000 confirmed COVID-19 cases and more than 1,700 deaths. People are still facing layoffs and the Federal Pandemic Unemployment Compensation bonus is coming to an end next week.

Durham workers have been affected by layoffs related to COVID-19. According to Worker Adjustment and Retraining Notification (WARN) records posted on the Dataworks-NC website on July 20, between Durham and Wake county there have been around 4000 layoffs. As noted by Dataworks-NC, this number does not account for all layoffs as many small businesses have had to close and these may not be a part of the WARN records. Furthermore, many people who are self-employed have lost work during this time.

We are experiencing this economic crisis through our relationships with Durham Housing Authority residents. Many of us know residents who have experienced financial hardship as a result of the pandemic. Through grant funding, a Durham CAN member institution has been providing assistance with rent or utilities during this time. They have received a large volume of calls from DHA residents and have managed to help a lot of them, but not without frustration. Our own experience with calling the Durham Social Services number provided to residents for financial assistance left us in shock and anger at the level of disrespect, hostility and run around that we received from the other end of the line.

At a Coalition for Affordable Housing and Transit meeting in June with Mr. Scott and Legal Aid, the Hardship Exemption was suggested as an option for minimum-rent qualifying residents unable to make their rent payment. Yet, there is confusion about this. Residents don’t know about it and property managers are poorly or completely uninformed about it. Furthermore, residents report discrepancies with their rent statements. An extension on the eviction moratorium would give DHA time to make sure that all residents’ rent payments correspond to their current circumstances and provide information and clarity about the Hardship Extension to their residents and property managers.

We urge the Durham Housing Authority to follow the lead of the Housing Authority of the City of Annapolis and extend the moratorium on evictions due to unpaid rent until at least November 2, but preferably through the end of 2020.

Sincerely,
Durham Congregations, Associations and Neighborhoods

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