New single-family homes are being built faster than ever in Durham.
In 2014, fewer than 300 permits were issued for new single-family homes. Last year, there were over 1,900. Meanwhile, permits for multi-family apartment buildings and complexes have risen only slightly over the decade.
What that means for housing affordability in Durham remains unclear.
Russell Pierce, executive director at the nonprofit Housing for New Hope, notices the boom in new home building on drives with his wife to Briar Creek in southeast Durham.
“Every Sunday, when we go out there … it’s a game of what stand of trees has been removed this week for a new development,” he says.
Peter Skillern, executive director of housing nonprofit Reinvestment Partners, has also noticed changes unfolding in Durham.
“The downtown skyline is dramatically different with the new multifamily buildings,” he says. “Central city neighborhoods have been transformed with renovations or teardowns, and new construction, oftentimes with different types of architectural style. And, you can see the incredible growth of new subdivisions as you go out on Highway 98 or 70.”
Just this week, Durham’s City Council approved a new 500-unit development on N.C. 98, also known as Wake Forest Highway. The council voted 4-3 to rezone and annex land to make way for the new subdivision, which includes 50 new homes, 225 apartments and more. It’s the latest of many such recent votes paving the way for new construction in eastern and southeastern Durham.
Skillern says Durham policymakers are trying to improve affordability by increasing the housing supply. That could help explain the recent upswing in housing construction in Durham. “[This approach is] driving local policy as far as the approval of new developments,” he says.
He pointed to recent policy moves, such as the approval of the Simplifying Codes for Affordable Housing amendments (SCAD), as evidence of the city’s desire to boost housing construction. Among other changes, SCAD lowered barriers for the construction of accessory dwelling units, which are small homes built on lots where there is already an existing home.
Durham has focused, too, on helping renters and homeowners more easily afford their homes, including through the Low-Income Homeowners Relief and the Housing Choice Voucher programs. “I see Durham being one of the most generous and proactive in supporting subsidies or for housing in order to be inclusive,” Skillern says.
However, both Pierce and Skillern say Durham should focus more attention on building affordable housing, and not just on increasing the housing stock.
Subdivisions full of single-family homes come with some downsides, said Pierce.
“It’s definitely more efficient from a construction perspective, and probably from an environmental perspective, to have things more concentrated, especially if it’s in a walkable space with amenities nearby, whether that’s multi-family apartment-style condos or townhouses,” he says.
Also, single-family homes are out of reach economically for many Durhamites. Renters account for 45 percent of Durham’s population, according to a 2024 Housing for New Hope report.
“People shouldn’t have to spend more than 30% of their income toward their housing,” Pierce says. “Otherwise, it’s not considered sustainable.”
“We need more housing on the lower end of the spectrum. Where we can create home ownership opportunities, all the better. But at least as a start for a lot of folks, just having enough rental options would be great.”
To accommodate families at the lower end of the economic spectrum –– those who make less than half of the median income — Durham needs nearly 11,000 more affordable units, according to the same report.
Pierce also says Durham needs more flexible subsidies to help a wider range of homeowners and renters afford homes and apartments.
“There’s a population that really does need additional flexible subsidies to close the gap between what they can reasonably pay and what the market’s expecting on the units,” he says.
“For example, if you’re looking downtown, you have a whole bunch of expensive units sitting empty, but you’ve got people who need housing and can pay a portion of that. How do you close that gap?”
Both experts say it’s hard to assess the effectiveness of Durham’s strategy for boosting housing affordability, especially when there are so many variables at play.
“Well, at some point we’re going to run out of land, or politics may change,” Skillern says. “The economy may change. There’s all sorts of variables to see where that goes.”
Above: Bulldozers have become a frequent sight in southeast Durham as permits for new construction have ballooned over the past decade. Photo by Maddie Wray — The 9th Street Journal
