An open letter to Phail Wynn, vice president for Durham and regional affairs: At their annual meeting in 1964, the Board of Trustees declared that "the Modern University has both the opportunity and the duty to go beyond the accidental, natural impact that grows out of its own character." Just last year the University reaffirmed this commitment with our new strategic plan, Making a Difference.
Durham has identified reducing poverty and eliminating homelessness as two of its top priorities for the next decade, and if we are serious about making a difference, Duke should be on the front lines of the fight. Mr. Wynn--this is exactly where you come in. As Duke's first vice president for Durham and regional affairs, you will be the point
man for student, faculty and administration efforts to create a sustainable impact in Durham and the surrounding region.
There is no question Duke is currently investing a lot in the community. The Community Affairs office has 11 full-time professional staff members and coordinates partnerships that provide $3 million per
year to Durham. Assistant Vice President for Community Affairs Michael Palmer wrote in an e-mail, "There is no deficit of caring or
commitment at Duke or in this community of Durham regarding homelessness."
I agree with Mr. Palmer. People do care and we do spend a lot of money. Duke is good at spending lots of money on projects--but that
doesn't necessarily mean we are getting the best bang for our buck.
The Duke-Durham Neighborhood Partnership claims a strong commitment to affordable housing. Duke cooperates with multiple organizations to construct "affordable housing" units and offer mortgage support. Duke has a strong partnership with Habitat for Humanity, regularly donating funding and work crews for new houses.
These projects are important, but the problem is that most of these programs fail to reach those most in need. United Way homelessness specialist Stan Holt told me that the private market will already support housing for households that make at least half of the county's median income (at least $21,668) per year. The real challenge is
finding permanent housing for families who fall below the $20,000 mark--those that can't pay a security deposit, let alone a subsidized mortgage.
If Duke wants to target those most in need in Durham, the school should stop spending its money on investments that the private sector can support and tackle the really difficult challenges. Mr. Wynn, it will be up to you to spearhead this effort. Look at creating employment programs that target formerly homeless people or those without stable addresses. Support transitional housing programs for those living on streets and in shelters. Develop long-term substance
abuse and mental health programs that utilize the Hospital's extensive
resources.
As the University's new point man for Durham interactions, working to push a strong, cohesive institutional commitment from Duke to end homelessness is critical. But all of the money and programming in the world won't make much difference if students and faculty aren't behind them.
Duke students log upwards of 10,000 hours of community service each year. The number certainly sounds impressive, but like school
spending, it's worth examining the value of all these hours. Students only spend four years here; there will always be high turnover in university service programs. In the current community service environment, so much is done as one-time projects or semester-long relationships. A lot of time is devoted to introductions and orientations and logistics, but the projects don't do a whole lot to get us to the root causes of Durham's poverty. Mr. Wynn, your challenge is to bring us to the next level.
If Duke encourages four-year student-community partnerships, there will be exponentially more room for growth and development. Students who are exposed to a homeless shelter or legal clinic or neighborhood health center as freshmen can begin to think about ways to contribute
early. By graduation, we will be able to observe real student impact with these organizations.
Alternatively, what better way for undergraduates to understand life in poverty than by partnering students with homeless and at-risk families in Durham? While helping to navigate the day-to-day challenges faced by Durham's poor, students would build a four-year relationship with their assigned family and see the impact of their efforts directly--which is far more important than how many service hours are clocked.
Mr. Wynn, you can make these programs happen. Pull together service organizations all over campus, offer publicity and funding and support to get students involved early, and recognize students and community partners when their impacts are notable. Combine these efforts with better targeted institutional funding to produce a strong, united Duke response to Durham's poverty and homelessness. Then we can finally fulfill our "Making a Difference" pledge.
David Fiocco is a Trinity senior. His column runs every other Monday.
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