Newsletters

If you read our blog or our email newsletter regularly, you’ve heard about the five homes in Durham that we acquired back in March of this year. The residents of those homes on Open Air Camp Road are members of the Eno River Tenants’ Association and had long hoped their homes could be protected by becoming part of a land trust. When we purchased the homes and made them part of our permanently affordable inventory, we shared that plans were already in progress to complete extensive renovations, so I wanted to provide an update on the progress and share what’s next.

If I had to reduce this update to one word, it wouldn’t be hard at all: WOW! Lazarus Repair and Maintenance got right to work, and the transformations that are happening right before our eyes have been incredible.

The first work completed was roofing, as four of the five homes needed entirely new roofs. Gutters and downspouts were replaced to repair leaks and ensure proper drainage. Then all five homes had their leaky, drafty, insecure windows replaced with brand new, energy-efficient ones. With those external repairs complete, it was time to move indoors.

As interior renovations in each home will require the residents to relocate temporarily, we acquired a short-term rental that each family will take a turn staying in while their homes are renovated. Work started on the home that needed the most extensive work, essentially a complete rebuild from the crawlspace to the ceiling. That home is now complete, and I can tell you that the transformation is stunning. I got to see the home just before the tenants moved back in, and it brought tears to my eyes to see the brand new home: moldy floors and walls replaced, a gleaming new kitchen with beautiful backsplash and shiny new appliances, cozy bedrooms with new ceiling fans and fresh paint, and the house’s one bathroom completely gutted and remodeled – plus a brand-new half-bath created seemingly out of thin air in a space I could never have imagined! I’m so grateful for the imagination of Daniela De Cabrera, the vision behind all of Lazarus’s incredible work.

Of course, the tears in my eyes when I saw the completed home were nothing compared to the tenants’ when they returned home for the first time. The home they had known for 18 years was brand new, and I won’t spoil it, but suffice it to say, you’ll want to see the film we’re making documenting the renovations. We’re planning the release party for the film in early 2025, so stay tuned for an invitation to join us at the beautiful Carolina Theatre in downtown Durham!

So that’s one home down, four to go. Demolition began this week inside the second home, which will get new floors, a remodeled kitchen and bathroom, crawlspace work, siding repairs, and more. And while the family who lives in that home spends a few days in the short-term rental, Lazarus is already lining up plans and details for each of the remaining homes: rebuilt decks and porches, all-new kitchens, walls removed and moved, brand new flooring, upgraded and updated bathrooms and plumbing, and much more. When the renovations are done, all the tenants will move back into their like-new, permanently affordable homes, to remain for as long as they’d like. Some will choose to apply to become owners of their homes, which will stay in our land trust forever, just like our homes in Orange County. Others will choose to remain tenants, and as their landlord, we will ensure their rent stays affordable permanently.

None of this would be possible without our partners in this work: the Oak Foundation, which provided a generous grant of $550,000; the Durham Affordable Housing Loan Fund, which provided a loan for $470,000; and Lazarus Repair and Maintenance, especially Daniela De Cabrera, co-owner and visionary behind her entire team’s incredible work. As I mentioned, we’re working on documenting the whole process; and speaking of incredible work, you won’t want to miss the film Yuri Vaysgant of Vaysgant Visuals is producing for us. And I can’t leave out our own CHT Property Manager, Ian Morse, who is coordinating this project. It’s a huge effort, and I know I speak for the whole team and all the tenants when I say how grateful I am for all his hard work.

So stay tuned! I’ll keep you posted as the project progresses and as plans for our film release are finalized. I can’t wait for you to see the five beautiful new CHT homes in Durham!

Kimberly Sanchez, Executive Director

P.S. Speaking of Durham, we’re excited to be a sponsor of this year’s Festival for the Eno in Durham this week! If you head out to the festival, be sure to stop by our table near the big top and say hi!