DHA and Partners Announce The Close for Villages of Hayti

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE
Contact: Aalayah Sanders
Durham Housing Authority Director of Public Affairs
asanders@dha-nc.org | 919-407-0460

Durham Housing Authority and Durham Community Partners Announce The Close for Villages of Hayti - A Community‑Led Affordable Housing Investment in the Historic Hayti District, Durham, North Carolina

Durham, NC (March 9, 2026) The Durham Housing Authority (DHA), in partnership with Durham Community Partners, comprised of Harmony Housing Affordable Development, Gilbane Development and F7 Development and guided by the Hayti Community Advisory Committee (CAC), today announced the successful financial close of Villages of Hayti. The first phase in a multiphase affordable housing community, bringing a 252‑unit, fully affordable housing development to Durham's historic Hayti neighborhood. This milestone officially launches the long‑awaited redevelopment of the former Fayette Place site, which has remained vacant since the early 2000s and represents one of the most significant affordable housing investments in the city's recent history.

Villages of Hayti is structured as a 100% Low‑Income Housing Tax Credit (LIHTC) development, with all units restricted to households earning between 30% and 80% of Area Median Income (AMI), utilizing income averaging to deepen affordability. In accordance with NCFHA, 26 units are specifically designated as mobility‑impaired units for people with disabilities or individuals experiencing homelessness.

As a property previously owned by the Durham Housing Authority, the approximately 20-acre site will include a mix of 81 one‑bedroom, 113 two‑bedroom, and 58 three‑bedroom apartments across nine garden‑style walk‑up buildings. A 4,000‑square‑foot community building will anchor the site, offering a multipurpose room, computer and office center, and exercise room. Outdoor amenities include a 1,700‑square‑foot playground, shaded seating areas, and a centrally located covered picnic pavilion. The site's location (less than 1.5 miles from downtown Durham and a quarter mile from a Go Durham bus stop) ensures residents have convenient access to transit, employment, education, and cultural amenities.

The financial close reflects a strong public commitment to equitable development. The project includes a $6.2 million ground lease note and $17 million in funding from the City of Durham, alongside federal tax credit equity and additional public and private financing partners. Together, these investments support the City's commitment to expanding affordable housing options in historically underserved areas.

"Reaching the initial closing for Villages of Hayti underscores what's possible when strong partnerships align around community priorities," said James Triano, Executive Vice President at Harmony Housing Affordable Development Inc. "Public-private collaboration is essential to advancing affordable housing at scale, allowing us to leverage critical resources, share expertise, and deliver meaningful reinvestment in historic communities like Hayti. This milestone reflects that shared commitment - honoring Hayti's legacy while restoring opportunity for generations to come."

"This project reflects a shared commitment to delivering high-quality, affordable housing while honoring Hayti's history and supporting a future rooted in stability, opportunity, and resident-led growth" honoring the legacy of Hayti and developing a future shaped by the voices of its residents. Bobvala Tengen, Senior Development Director at Gilbane Development goes on to say, "Villages of Hayti represents more than just new buildings - it's a commitment to what's possible when development is rooted in collaboration and community empowerment, and we are thrilled to be able to bring this to the Durham community."

"As a Black-owned, community-based development firm, F7 approaches projects like Villages of Hayti with a deep sense of responsibility," said James (Monte) Montague, President of F7 International Development. "Partnering with the Durham Housing Authority and Harmony Housing Affordable Development, this financial closing marks a critical step toward a larger, community-driven vision for Hayti-one that prioritizes long-term affordability, cultural preservation, and future phases that include homeownership opportunities designed to support stability, opportunity, and generational wealth for the families who call this neighborhood home."

DHA is proud to move forward with plans to provide much-needed affordable rental housing, commercial space for local businesses and homeownership that restores Hayti as a place of opportunity, stability, and belonging for the families we serve in the Durham community," said Durham Housing Authority Interim CEO, Ashanti Brown. "Hayti has been a significant symbol of historic Black excellence and community resilience. The financial closing for The Villages of Hayti honors those voices of the legacy as we're building toward the future and delivering on a promise."

BLWall Consulting led and facilitated the project's community engagement efforts. "Reclaiming a thriving Black community begins with honoring the people who have carried its legacy forward. By creating various opportunities for the voices of the residents and community to be heard, we worked to ensure that the future of the Villages of Hayti reflected history, resilience and deep sense of love and belonging that has long defined Hayti. I am most proud of how this engagement shaped one of the outcomes of the development - the opportunity for home ownership, which was not original scoped for this development," said Bridget Wall-Lennon, President of BLWall Consulting.

The financial close of Phase 1 also sets the foundation for future phases of the redevelopment, which will introduce for‑sale townhome ownership opportunities designed to support generational wealth, long‑term neighborhood stability and the community's vision for equitable growth. Additional phases will also include more multifamily housing, commercial spaces to support local businesses, and cultural and community spaces envisioned by residents.

Since 2017, DHA and its partners, have engaged Hayti residents through surveys, interviews, public meetings and the formation of the CAC, ensuring that community priorities directly shaped the project's design and long‑term vision. As part of that process, residents also played a major role in selecting the project's official name - Villages of Hayti - to honor the neighborhood's cultural identity and aspirations for the site's rebirth.

More information about the Villages of Hayti Project is available here.

Construction on Villages of Hayti Phase is expected to begin in Q1 2026, with completion of Phase 1 estimated to be Q4 2027.

About Durham Housing Authority
The Durham Housing Authority is the largest affordable housing provider in Durham, North Carolina. DHA has developed, owned, managed, and contributed housing to diverse communities of choice since 1949.

Development Ventures Incorporated (DVI) is a non-profit instrumentality of the DHA established in 1985 to develop mixed-income affordable housing as a complement to DHA's conventional public housing program. Its mission is to develop, in conjunction with the public and private sectors, affordable housing in the City of Durham.

For more information about Durham Housing Authority, click here.

About Harmony Housing Affordable Development Inc.
Driven by a passion for creating and preserving affordable housing in our nation's most vulnerable communities, Harmony Housing Affordable Development Inc. is an industry-leading, mission-driven affordable housing developer and developer partner that specializes in construction, rehabilitation, repositioning, and recapitalization of projects. To date, the team has developed approximately 18,000 apartment homes with another 4,800 in various stages of completion in 10 states. The group's mission is to create meaningful and significant impacts on communities by helping to provide low-wealth households with decent, safe, and affordable housing.

About Gilbane
Development Gilbane Development is the real estate development, financing, and ownership arm of Gilbane, Inc., a 155-year-old family-owned company. With over $11.8 billion in development and more than 25,000 units of housing completed/underway, Gilbane Development's projects incorporate every aspect of real estate including: multifamily housing (market rate apartments, student housing, and affordable housing); mixed-used developments; healthcare facilities; K-12 schools; government facilities; and many types of facilities delivered through public-private partnerships. To learn more about Gilbane, click here.

About F7
F7 International Development, a Triangle-based, black-owned business, was founded in 2002 with the sole purpose of improving the community and surrounding areas by developing and creating infrastructure; building and constructing commercial properties; and general contracting new residential housing as well as rehabilitating existing homes all to improve and empower the communities F7 serves. James (Monte) Montague, President of F7 International Development and son of Southeast Raleigh, is an Urban Community Property Developer with over 22 years of expertise in low-income communities, and is focused on underdeveloped areas, affordable housing and business office spaces.

About BLWall Consulting
BLWall Consulting LLC, is a Black female-owned business, located in the Triangle and is a trusted leader in public outreach and community engagement. Bridget Wall-Lennon, President, started the company in 2013, and has over 30 years of experience in public and private sector program development, implementation, and management. BLWall Consulting brings a wealth of experience across diverse sectors, including public policy and involvement, construction and economic development. BLWall is intentional about fostering meaningful connections between public agencies, private entities, and the communities they serve. For more information about BLWall Consulting, click here.