Board of Directors, CEO, and Staff Response to SCAD

August 4, 2023

On March 1, 2023, the Board of Directors of Habitat for Humanity of Durham (HFHD) learned that the organization was named as a co-sponsor to Simplifying Codes for more Affordable Development (SCAD), a proposal to make changes to Durham’s Unified Development Ordinance (UDO).

After a thorough investigation the HFHD Board determined that no one with appropriate authority approved HFHD to be a co-applicant of SCAD.

After we formally removed our name from SCAD, the leadership and Board of HFHD received multiple communications from developers lobbying for specific actions to be taken in support of and around SCAD. Some of these communications placed us in an untenable position as a 501(c)3 organization.

Our 501(c)3 status is the lifeline that allows us to operate and serve our community. We are dedicated to honoring Durham neighborhoods and their unique diversity and culture. We seek to preserve long term affordability as it relates to the promotion of generational wealth. We are committed to being a responsible affordable housing builder and lender in Durham working in partnership with other affordable housing developers, community members, the city and county of Durham, and other advocates.
We cannot succumb to pressure from donors, volunteers, and/or former employees to support agendas that do not reflect our mission and commitments to the community at large in exchange for donations, services, or items of value.

We greatly appreciate the time, talent, and resources volunteers and donors bring to our mission; however, the act of volunteering or donating services does not entitle the donor to speak on our behalf.

HFHD supports sensible changes to the UDO that align and promote our mission and most importantly the overall community good. The Board of Directors of HFHD does not support SCAD as it is currently written, will not apologize for actions related to SCAD, and will not reverse decisions made in March and April 2023 regarding SCAD.