Item:
Title
Presentation from Urban Ministries of Durham (30min)
Body
Date of BOCC Meeting: May 5, 2025
Request for Board Action:
Agenda Text
The Board is requested to receive a presentation from the Urban Ministries of Durham.
From our humble beginnings 40 years ago-operating in a gymnasium and classroom owned by St. Philip’s Episcopal Church-to our current campus at 410 Liberty Street, Urban Ministries of Durham (UMD) has worked hard to build a network of collaborative partnerships across communities of faith, local government, and other nonprofits. This approach has strengthened partnerships that help us achieve our mission to end homelessness and fight poverty by offering food, shelter, and a future to neighbors in need. We save lives every day by serving others.
UMD is proud to be the lead partner launching a transformative Collaborative Impact Project (CIP)-The Homeless Services Center-to directly address Durham’s deepening homelessness and housing insecurity crisis. With decades of trusted service and collaboration, CIP partners are ready to take the next bold step: reimagining and expanding physical and service infrastructure to meet growing needs and create lasting impact.
Today, homeless service providers in Durham are at a critical point as we respond to the growing needs of Durham’s unhoused, hungry, and impoverished. With a shared vision for the Collaborative Impact Project, UMD is working with partner organizations like Families Moving Forward, Project Access, Lincoln Community Health Center, Entry Point, and others to reimagine a model of care that includes easier access to vital resources-all under one roof. Thanks to the generosity and continued support of St. Philip’s Episcopal Church, this vision is beginning to take root.
The Collaborative Impact Project includes plans for a new multi-story Services Center along East Main Street, adjacent to the Department of Social Services (DSS). This state-of-the-art facility is projected to cost $72 million in pre-development and construction-but the true cost of homelessness is far greater.
An investment in this project is an investment in new, expanded services and trauma-informed care. Financial support will improve provider coordination and effectiveness, reduce the cost burden on the community, and deliver a solution to serve the unsheltered both today and in the future.
Alignment with Strategic Plan: Urban Ministries of Durham’s work aligns with Durham County strategic plan focus area: Regional Leadership, to develop strategies to partner with stakeholders and identify funding and resources to reduce housing insecurity (RL 4a).
Resource Persons: Sheldon Mitchell, Executive Director, Urban Ministries of Durham
County Manager’s Recommendation: The County Manager recommends that the Board receive this presentation from Urban Ministries of Durham.
Signature
County Manager: ____________________________