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Strategies to Prevent Displacement, Part 3: Rent Stabilization

L'Tanya Durante, John Killeen · Jul 26, 2019 · Leave a Comment

Over time, Durham residents have witnessed and been affected by significant and rapid increases in rents. Those renters who work in industries like food services and accommodation in particular have worked for wages that haven’t kept pace with these rising rents.

Accomodation and Food Service is the 5th largest employment sector in Durham County, employing 16,000 workers in 2018. Wages for these workers have remained low while rents have continually increased – particularly since 2010.

It is clear that the gap between wages and rents has to close in order for people to be able to stay here.

What has been done to increase wages?

Based on data from Zillow, median rent in Durham County is around $1,386 per month. Based on the standard that “affordability” means housing costs are no more than 30% of net income, this median rent would only be affordable to those with a salary of a minimum of $55,440 per year (or about $27 per hour).

Though the minimum wage for those employed by the city was raised to $15 per hour, the median rent is still unaffordable. It is equally important to note that the wage increase to $15 per hour applied only to city employees. What housing choices are available to the many Durham residents who are still employed at the $7.25 per hour minimum wage? 

When asked to envision Durham without this type of wage disparity, one small group discussion from the recent Who Owns Durham strategy session focused on rent stabilization.

Rent control laws vary and can therefore be complicated with certain states, like California, only allowing rent control regulations in certain cities.

Rent control, as an umbrella term, can refer to:

  • Rent-controlled apartments — many rent control laws involve placing a cap on how much rent can be increased when a lease is up for renewal. Rent-controlled apartments generally benefit tenants who have lived in an apartment for many years and are more invested in the neighborhood.
  • Rent-stabilized apartments — those where rent can be increased by only a certain percentage.

The most significant barrier in passing rent stabilization policies in North Carolina is that in order for these types of changes to happen, local governments have to seek changes in state law. Overall, in the absence of policies that close the gap between rent and wages, displacement of community members will continue.


This is part three of a four-part series that summarizes key take-aways from the June 25th strategy session of ‘Who Owns Durham.’

Strategies to Prevent Displacement Posting Series:
Part 1: Landlord Accountability
Part 2: Civil Justice
Part 3: Rent Stabilization
Part 4: Improvement of Financial Wellbeing

News Equitable Development, Evictions, Rent

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RT @NateBakerDurham “Our mission.. was to.. ensure that our demands were heard over the demands of housing advocates..” twitter.com/releepse…

RT @taraghuveer TODAY the White House releases tenant protections policy, following a lengthy process, incl. engagement with #HomesGuarantee tenant leaders. While providing some good organizing hooks, the announcement falls short of issuing directives to regulate rent. washingtonpost.com/b…

@NateBakerDurham @leffjakin We've been saying it for a while, but here's a city attorney offering it too: rent control is allowed in NC for publicly owned properties, publicly-subsidized properties and those funded by CDBG. Let's make this more widely known! youtu.be/nlwQLcVa52c…

@planning_troll Really wanted it to be "shark" when you said it. In favor of shart or shark for the record

RT @EnoTenants Thank you @DataWorks_NC for standing w/ the Eno River Tenants against @EnoRiver evictions! "The ERTA...links their landlord’s land acknowledgement to an act of reparation they can take now: prevent another real estate transaction that displaces people..."dataworks-nc.org/202…

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