Show Up for Affordable Housing Thursday

Dear Judea Social Action Family,
 
As you know, our congregation is committed to bring into practice the core social justice values of Judaism via tikkun olam. One way in which we are pursuing Tzedek, social justice, is through advocacy projects which address root causes of injustice, inequality and environmental distress, is through our involvement with Durham CAN (Congregations Associations and Neighborhoods)**, where a core commitment continues to be affordable housing in Durham.
  
In the next few weeks, both the Durham City and County governments will reach important decisions about close to 400 units of potential affordable housing in what has become very exclusive downtown. CAN has organized for Adorable Housing at those developments for the last four years. We invite you to join Judea's delegation on Thursday, June 27^th, at 6 pm, as CAN members, affiliates, and Durham citizens, will meet to continue to ask the Durham city and County governments to continue their commitment to affordable housing in two particular areas: 

1) A year ago, the Durham City Council promised to make affordable housing at the site a priority by ensuring developers would plan for at least 80 units at a property at 505 W. Chapel Hill Street (the former Durham Police Department Headquarters building). Citywide surveys/community events showed the majority of Durham residents want Affordable Housing as a significant priority for the re-development of the site. 

2) Durham County is in the process of identifying a qualified development partner or partners to redevelop the 300 and 500 blocks of East Main Street into a mix of affordable and market-rate housing, ground floor commercial space and structure parking. The County is interviewing three excellent candidate developers. CAN wants to make sure the County Commissioners & the City Council select developers who:        

            - Demonstrate the ability to work with local partners
            - Preserve the long term affordability of the site
            - Partner with the DHA to ensure the use of vouchers
            - Provide the most support for the community and the area institutions
            - Hire local residents, pay at least $15 (including contractors) and Ban the Box 

Please join us in raising our collective voice to make sure that our local government knows where Durham residents stand on affordable housing. We will be meeting at 6 pm on Thursday, June 27^th, at 505 W Chapel Hill St, Durham, NC.
 
If you would like to learn more about Judea Reform’s involvement with Durham CAN, please contact Sonia Laurie (sonia.laurie@gmail.com).

**Durham CAN is a non-profit organization that works to train and organize communities in Durham across religious, racial, ethnic, class, and geographic lines for the public good. Since 1997, the primary goal of CAN has been to develop local leadership and organized power to change the conditions that prevent low- and moderate-income families from improving their circumstances. An important element of this is ongoing commitment to affordable housing in Durham.