Durham’s Housing Sprints Move 104 Homeless Residents Into Homes — With Remarkable Results

 

DURHAM, N.C. — For 104 Durham residents, including 50 children, the uncertainty of homelessness has been replaced by something many people take for granted: a place to call home.

The City of Durham announced Thursday, October 15, that its HOPE Team helped 104 people move from homelessness into housing through three coordinated rounds of an initiative called Housing Sprints.

The effort has helped 50 households, including families with children, single adults, and individuals who had been living in homeless encampments.

Most encouraging, 49 of the 50 households—or 98%—remain housed, according to city officials.

The achievement represents the first major milestone under Durham’s Strategic Framework to Make Homelessness Rare & Brief, an initiative designed to help residents obtain housing more quickly while providing support to help them remain there.

A Faster Path From Homelessness to Housing

For people experiencing homelessness, finding an affordable apartment is often only part of the challenge.

Application requirements, security deposits, move-in expenses, transportation and access to supportive services can create obstacles that delay the transition into stable housing.

Durham’s Housing Sprints are designed to address those barriers simultaneously rather than requiring residents to navigate each one separately.

The coordinated approach brings together street outreach workers, nonprofit organizations, landlords, and case managers to accelerate the housing process.

According to city officials, most participants move from their initial paperwork to receiving apartment keys within 30 days.

“Sprints are the system at full speed. February showed the model could work; reaching 104 shows it can begin to scale,” said Anise Vance, assistant director of Durham’s Community Safety Department.

How Durham’s Housing Sprints Work

Each Housing Sprint is an intensive, four- to six-week effort targeting a specific population experiencing homelessness.

Some focus on families living in shelters, while others assist individuals residing in outdoor encampments.

The process begins by connecting participants with Entry Point Durham, the city’s coordinated access system for homelessness services.

Outreach teams, including HEART Street Outreach and community partners, help individuals enter the process.

Participating nonprofit organizations provide housing assistance, while landlords make rental units available to people transitioning out of homelessness.

Flexible financial assistance helps cover move-in costs and other expenses that might otherwise prevent someone from securing a home.

Importantly, participants are also assigned case managers who begin working with them before they move and continue providing support afterward.

The goal is not simply to place someone in an apartment, but to help that person maintain stable housing.

Winter Housing Sprint Helps 52 People, Including 34 Children

The first Housing Sprint focused on families living in winter shelters.

Organizers initially set a goal of housing 10 households.

Instead, the initiative successfully moved 14 households into housing, representing 52 people, including 34 children.

Six months later, 13 of those 14 households remained housed.

The results provided an early indication that the coordinated approach could help families move out of emergency shelter arrangements and into more stable living situations.

For children, that transition can provide a more consistent home environment while families work toward longer-term stability.

May Housing Sprint Moves 14 Adults Out of Encampments

Durham’s second Housing Sprint focused on people living without shelter, including those staying in encampments.

The initiative successfully housed 14 adults who had been living in encampments.

City officials also reported that one additional participant remained engaged in case management, progressing toward housing at a pace the individual selected.

The effort demonstrated how direct outreach, landlord participation and individualized support can help residents move from outdoor living conditions into housing.

August Housing Sprints Help Another 38 Residents

The city’s August efforts expanded the initiative to serve both individuals and families.

During that period, 38 people moved into housing, including:

• 13 individual adults.

• Nine families consisting of 25 people.

• 16 children among those families.

At the time of the city’s announcement, two additional individuals and five more households were still working through the housing process.

The August results brought the total number of residents housed through the three rounds of Housing Sprints to 104.

From Nearly Four Years Outside to an Apartment in 27 Days

Among the stories emerging from the initiative is that of a participant who had spent nearly four years living outside.

Once connected with the Housing Sprint program, the individual moved from intake to his own apartment in just 27 days.

His experience illustrates what the city hopes to accomplish by coordinating services, financial assistance, and housing opportunities.

Rather than allowing administrative and financial obstacles to extend someone’s homelessness, the program seeks to address those challenges together.

Community Organizations and Landlords Are Essential Partners

Durham’s housing initiative relies on collaboration among public agencies, nonprofit organizations and private property owners.

Organizations participating in the Housing Sprints include:

• Families Moving Forward

• Housing for New Hope

• Family Promise of the Triangle

• HOM Inc.

• Urban Ministries of Durham

These organizations work alongside the city’s HOPE Team, street outreach workers, and landlords to identify housing opportunities and help residents make successful transitions.

The program also involves Durham County, the local Continuum of Care and other community partners.

Landlord participation is particularly important because housing placements depend on the availability of rental units.

By working with property owners willing to rent to people transitioning out of homelessness, organizers can expand the housing options available to participants.

Durham’s Next Housing Sprint Begins November 1

With three rounds completed, the City of Durham is preparing for another Housing Sprint beginning November 1, 2026.

Officials are seeking additional landlords willing to participate in the effort.

Property owners interested in renting to someone transitioning out of homelessness, along with residents seeking more information about the initiative, can contact the HOPE Team at HOPE@DurhamNC.gov.

What Is Durham’s HOPE Team?

The Housing Opportunities and Pathways Engagement (HOPE) Team operates within the City of Durham’s Community Safety Department.

Its mission focuses on preventing homelessness when possible, helping people experiencing homelessness secure housing quickly, and supporting residents in maintaining that housing.

The team works with local government agencies, nonprofit service providers, landlords, and other community partners to address housing instability.

Housing Sprints are one strategy within Durham’s broader effort to make homelessness rare and brief.

More Than a Housing Statistic

Durham’s announcement comes as communities across North Carolina continue working to address homelessness, housing affordability and the need for coordinated support services.

Although the Housing Sprints have reached 104 residents, the city’s figures do not establish how many people remain homeless in Durham or how much additional housing is needed.

They do, however, provide measurable results for one approach to helping residents secure and maintain homes.

With 49 of 50 participating households still housed, Durham officials have an early indication that combining rapid housing placement with continuing support can produce lasting results.

For the families and individuals who have received their keys, the milestone represents more than a successful government initiative.

It represents the opportunity to rebuild routines, regain stability, and begin a new chapter with a place to call home.