Duke employees can soon help revitalize the Southside neighborhood, known for its high level of crime, in Durham.
Duke is fostering the school’s relationship with the Durham community through the Southside Housing Incentive program that offers housing loans and incentives to interested Duke employees. The location was chosen because the Southside neighborhood is underdeveloped, said Phail Wynn, vice president for Durham and regional affairs. Employees can now begin submitting their applications.
“This is just a great way to help low to moderate-income employees who want to purchase a home but don’t have enough money saved yet for a down payment,” Wynn said. “Southside is the last sort of depopulated area that needs to be repopulated... so we are helping to rebuild a neighborhood that was essentially deserted.”
As part of the initial project development, qualified employees can purchase one of the 10 homes available in the Southside neighborhood. Wynn noted that this program is unique to Duke, as other universities do not offer direct assistance with housing for faculty. The initiatives include a $10,000 forgivable loan, with additional subsidies and assistance covering costs up to $50,000.
To qualify, applicants must have worked at Duke for at least five years and make no more than 115 percent of the median income, or $79,000 for a family of four. Since the program is aimed at low to middle income families, the maximum income level was derived by Duke to target this demographic.
Applicants are also required to complete a homebuyer education workshop and pre-purchase housing counseling. This education requirement aims to teach these families how to manage their finances and become responsible homeowners, Wynn said.
Despite the perceived danger of the Southside area, the neighborhood has positive aspects for residents, and the new development will make it more appealing, Wynn added.
“The physical area of Southside is a short walk from downtown Durham and has easy access to public transportation,” he said. “Once construction is complete, it will be a new neighborhood and give families the opportunity to own a home.”
LaVonda Roberson, a Duke food service worker and Durham native, said that not all Duke employees approve of the location of the initiative, however. She noted that while the program seems like a great idea, Southside is too dangerous for her to consider moving there, even with additional assistance offered from Duke.
Brad Brown, a manager at The Dillo, does not see the Southside location as a deterrent despite its negative reputation. Brown said that he is currently in the market for a house and thinks that initiative is an incredible opportunity for Duke employees and that he plans on sharing the information with his fellow workers.
But Roberson noted that she hopes that the construction of homes will help revitalize the struggling Southside neighborhood.
Wynn said he predicts the incentive program will continue strengthening ties between Duke and Durham. Duke has a lot of stake in the success of Durham, he added, and has been working to revitalize the downtown Durham neighborhood for several years.
Get The Chronicle straight to your inbox
Signup for our weekly newsletter. Cancel at any time.