Affordable Housing

Health and Housing Symposium

The Health and Housing committee is meeting monthly and engaging with organizations leading initiatives that address health and housing issues. Organizations such as PEACH that works on lead abatement, Lincoln Homeless Health Clinic, and NC Healthy Homes have shared initiatives and are working on plans for collaboration. The committee is seeking the most efficient platform to host a health and housing symposium that incorporates small and large organizations without burdening those with the least resources.

Health and Housing Advocacy

The Health and Housing committee has identified seven Durham-based organizations that provide the data or infrastructure for healthy housing advocacy. Based on these resources, the committee is developing tools to advocate for healthier home conditions.

Health and Housing Collaboration

The Health and Housing committee has identified seven Durham-based organizations that provide the data or infrastructure for healthy housing advocacy. Based on these resources, the committee is developing tools to advocate for healthier home conditions.

Access to Healthcare and Health Insurance

Faith-based Access to Care Program

The Partnership Access to Care program has held two meetings focused on discussing the intersection of faith communities and accessing healthcare and health insurance. While faith centers continue to support the community the best they can, staff need more training and knowledge of the resources available. The Access to Care committee plans to administer a survey to a larger pool of faith leaders to identify the specific needs of faith communities as it relates to accessing care. After the assessment is complete, the committee will develop an action plan along with the leaders.

Digital Health Literacy Program

The Partnership Access to Care committee has hosted two informational sessions on health literacy resources in Durham. The committee continues discussing how to equitably share these resources to Durham residents with the greatest barriers to access.

Mental Health

 Mental Health Resource Awareness

The mental health committee has distributed over 300 physical mental health resource brochures in English and Spanish to healthcare facilities, educational institutions, community events, and partnering organizations in 2022. The resource is also available online in English and Spanish.

Community Resiliency Model Training

The Mental Health Committee hosted a Community Resiliency Model training in Spring of 2022 for committee members. The committee selected this modality to increase access to non-traditional mental health tools. Mental Health committee and Durham Adverse Childhood Experiences and Resilience Taskforce created a joint Community Resiliency Model Teacher Collaborative. The goal of this project is for the Durham community to report having increased skills to support their social, emotional, and mental health. The purpose is to disseminate mental health and wellness information and skills within the Durham community in partnership with community health advocates. Recruitment of community health advocates to become certified CRM teachers is scheduled to begin spring of 2023.

Obesity, Diabetes, and Food Access

Double Bucks Program

Durham Double Bucks is now offered at four local farmers’ markets and doubles SNAP benefits, Farmers’ Market Nutrition Program (FMNP) vouchers, and cash for people receiving SNAP, WIC and Section 8 housing vouchers. Double Bucks has been offered at the Durham, South Durham and East Durham farmers’ markets for a number of years, funded by a grant from Blue Cross Blue Shield of North Carolina. In FFY22, DINE facilitated expansion of the program to the Black Farmers’ Market. The market began accepting FMNP (it already accepted SNAP) and secured funds from the American Heart Association and United Way of the Greater Triangle to double SNAP and FMNP benefits. In FFY22, this market reached 70 unique Double Bucks customers.

The three other markets reached 452 unique customers. Customers shopping with Double Bucks spent $93,310 on local foods in 1,595 transactions.

Eighty-two percent of participants felt like their household had been eating healthier since using Double Bucks. Eighty-five percent of participants stated that since shopping with Double Bucks, their household has been able to buy more food. 15% reported buying the same amount of food, and 0% reported being able to buy less food.

Healthy Mile Trails

The Healthy Mile Trails were cleaned and repainted in 2022. The committee exploring avenues to include signage in Spanish and expand to green spaces.

School Nutrition Program

As of October 31, 2022, 18,661 free lunches were distributed, 803 reduced price lunches were distributed, 12,203 lunches were paid for in full. A total of 31,667 meals were served by Durham Public Schools, covering 61.46% of the students.

Food Access Program

Blue Cross Blue Shield Endowment funding for the Double Bucks program ended, but the program has been partially funded through support from Duke Office of Community Health and will continue operating. Program administrators continue seeking additional funding to operate the program at its full capacity. The program is expanding to the Black Farmers’ Market in Durham and Raleigh. Durham Public School Nutrition program began conversations with students and parents to include more culturally appropriate meal options on the menu. PANFA members created materials to notify families about changes with free and reduced lunch applications and eligibility.

Cancer remains t he leading cause of deat  h among Durham residents. Following cancer is diseases of the heart, cerebrovascular disease, chronic lower respiratory diseases, and Alzheimer’s disease. When looking specifically at year 2019, we see Alzheimer’s disease in the top five causes of death unlike years 2015-2019 collectively.

Why are there inequities?

Mortality rates are higher for Black or African Americans than other races or ethnicities for all leading causes of death in Durham County, with the greatest disparities in cancer and heart disease. Mortality rates are higher for men than women each of the leading causes of death. Structural racism is a root cause of these inequities.

Life expectancy rates are similar to previous years, still showing lower life expectancy for Black residents than white residents. Average life expectancy overall is 80.0 2018 to 2020.

Emerging Issues

Durham County has one of the highest COVID-19 vaccination rates in North Carolina- As of February 21, 2023, Durham County has administered 648,775 doses of COVID-19 vaccines. According to the CDC, approximately 95% of the population ages five and older is partially vaccinated and 85.4% of the population is fully vaccinated, meaning Durham County has the third highest vaccination rate in the state. Organizations such as the Durham County Department of Public Health, Duke Health, healthcare providers, Bull City Strong, LATIN-19, AACT+, Together for Resilient Youth (TRY), El Centro Hispano, and Triangle Empowerment Center continued providing vaccines in communities throughout the pandemic.

Durham County confirmed its first case of MPox- MPox, formerly known as Monkeypox, is a rare disease caused by the Mpox virus first discovered in 1958. Durham County confirmed its first case of mpox on July 11, 2022. Cases rose exponentially by the first week of August and doubled each week. Case numbers began to flatten in mid-September 2022, corresponding to the administration of Mpox vaccines. Durham County identified 46 cases of Mpox as of January 9, 2023. The last positive Mpox test reported in Durham County was November 30, 2022.

Gun violence is decreasing in Durham- Durham had 770 shootings January 1, 2022 through December 31, 2022, a decrease from 971 shootings in 2020 and 793 in 2021. Two-hundred and forty-seven people were shot in 2022, a decrease from 318 in 2020 and 278 in 2022. Durham County Public Health has a Gun Safety Team, Bull City United, and Project Build are programs designed to decrease violence in Durham.

New Initiatives

Aging Well Durham (AWD) is the result of merging two coalitions: the Durham Partnership for Seniors and the Durham Partnership for Seniors and More – COVID response. AWD’s purpose is to center lived experiences of aging adults in its work and foster awareness of the implications of Durham's growing aging adult population. The backbone agency promotes and   facilitates partnerships while advocating with aging adults on priorities they have identified. During its first year, AWD’s focus will be implementation of Durham’s Master Aging Plan. The plan focuses on civic participation/employment,outdoor spaces/transportation, housing, community support and health services/older adult hunger and nutrition, social inclusion/social participation/elder abuse, neglect, and exploitation.

GoDurham Connect offers free Lyft rides in North Durham- GoDurham Connect is a pilot program with the rideshare company, Lyft, allowing free rides up to $25. This option provides transportation from residents’ homes to schools, libraries, GoDurham bus stops, and shopping centers. This project is funded by the City of Durham and has support from the Durham County Transit Plan. Those interested in using GoDurham Connect can use code GDCONNECT2 for a free ride in eastern Durham or GDCONNECT3 for a free ride from    northern Durham. Riders without smartphones or those who need transportation with wheelchair accessibility can schedule a ride by calling 919-485-7433.