Affordable Housing Team Meeting with Bruce Rich + UNCG Eviction Mediation

In December of 2020, leaders of the Durham CAN Affordable Housing Team had a conversation with Bruce Rich about an eviction mediation project he is leading at the UNCG Center for Housing and Community Studies. The project's goal is to develop a methodology to prevent evictions due to non-payment of rent from reaching the courtroom.  In December, the program had just begun and was using legal mediation to build lines of communication between tenants and landlords and become an alternative to traditional court litigation. The conversation heavily influenced Durham CAN's proposed DHA eviction policy reform of extending the time to filing of evictions to 90 days after rent is due and requiring meetings between property managers and residents. Affordable Housing Action Team members will meet with Bruce Rich again on May 12 to get a "progress report" on the mediation project and learn if and how a similar program could be implemented in Durham.