Raafe-Amaad Purnsley has been renting a unit in Durham for almost a year. In that time, he and his roommate have dealt with mold, broken furniture, and faltering air conditioning units.

Now, it’s nearing time to renew their lease, and their landlord is raising their rent.

“Due to increases in the market,” Purnsley says, “our rent is going up without discussion of all these issues we’ve been having.”

Purnsley says they haven’t complained out of fear of retaliation. They don’t want to lose their lease and don’t know where they would live if they did. After a neighbor asked the property managers if her unit was up to code, the landlord ended up choosing not to renew her lease. Purnsley worries what will happen if he brings up similar concerns — and like Purnsley, his neighbor identifies as LGBTQ, adding to his fears about retribution.

New Website, https://secondchancedriving.org, to Help Residents Regain Driving Privileges

DURHAM, N.C. – Durham residents in need of help expunging charges and convictions and restoring their driving privileges now have a new program to help them get back on their feet.

According to the North Carolina Department of Motor Vehicles, approximately 1-in-5 adults in Durham County have a revoked or suspended driver’s license. According to data from the City of Durham Innovation Team (I-Team), 80 percent of those with revoked or suspended licenses are African American and Hispanic, and many of the these suspensions stem from unpaid tickets that are on average 16 years old with some more than 30 years old. 

Beginning today, the City of Durham-funded Durham Expunction and Restoration (DEAR) Program is officially opening its new office to the public and launching a new website to help these residents restore their driving privileges, which can help remove barriers to employment and housing.

Online Survey Available Until May 31 in English and Spanish

DURHAM, N.C. – What do you think about food waste and composting? If you take the City of Durham’s new online survey, you could win a $100 Visa gift card just for sharing your thoughts.

Composting is the gathering and mixing of yard and/or food waste in order to convert it over time to crumbly, rich, brown material suitable for building better soils and growing healthier plants. A Waste Characterization Study conducted in 2015 discovered that nearly 30 percent of landfilled material from Durham residents is food and soiled paper, most of which can potentially be composted.

The City’s Solid Waste Management Department is now seeking to better understand the food waste and composting habits of city residents. To help collect this information, an online Compost Survey has been created in both English and Spanish and is now available until May 31.

Online Survey Now Available Until April 30

 DURHAM, N.C. – When you visit the City of Durham website, what drives you nuts? What works well? Now’s your chance to tell us.

The City’s Office of Public Affairs and Technology Solutions Department are now evaluating https://DurhamNC.gov for a future update, and want user feedback on areas that work well and on areas that need improvement.

A short, online survey – now available in English and Spanish – allows website visitors the opportunity to provide their input, which will be used to help City staff improve the user experience.

The Federal Trade Commission (FTC) worked with AARP to create a series of videos about imposter scams – including robocalls, IRS imposters and Medicare scams. While the videos are aimed at older Asian Americans and Pacific Islanders, the tips apply to everyone.

The robovoice may claim to be a utility, a government agency, or even a foreign consulate. Don’t believe them. Instead:

April 18 Deadline to Submit Applications; Public Information Session Set for March 19

Durham business owners interested in funds to help improve their building locations should now apply for a City of Durham grant opportunity.

The City of Durham Office of Economic and Workforce Development is accepting applications for targeted areas inside the city limits for Building Improvement Grants. Proposed projects must be within the Downtown Development Tier, including Parrish Street and the Ninth Street Commercial Corridor.