Heat wave!

Whew!!! Heat advisories!! Record heat, not only in Durham but all over the world!! Summer is here and so are our friends who are experiencing homelessness. Our parking lot is full of people seeking assistance on Tuesdays and the lines at the door on Wednesdays speak to the great need. People are struggling to find solutions to issues beyond their control. Their leases aren’t renewed because the building has been sold. The work they have found is no longer enough to pay the rent. These are stories we hear from our friends, old and new, who have kept their housing stable after years of homelessness but are now at risk again. 

Recently, we collaborated with Legal Aid of NC on two very difficult cases. One seems to have finally resolved positively, preventing eviction of a man who was homeless for more than 20 years and then lived peacefully in his own apartment for the last five years. He is recertifying again with a new lease, thanks to our advocacy. The other had a small kitchen fire in January and rather than repairing the unit, management locked the tenant out and discarded all of his belongings. We are working to have him compensated for his losses. We don’t understand how these things happen but we have found that poverty and ignorance make tenancy much more difficult. We are bridging two worlds, landlords and tenants, with understanding and support. 

By the way….do you ever wonder what to give a panhandler on a day when the heat index skyrockets? A bottle of cold water will soothe the soul and may even save a life.

With joy and gratitude, 
Carolyn Schuldt, Executive Director