I have now raised this at three straight Durham City Council work sessions, because the pattern is impossible to ignore. There is a growing unsanctioned homeless encampment on city-owned land near Pilot Street and Fayetteville Street less than 50 feet from a school, and the city has still not responded with the urgency this situation demands. Meanwhile, when a similar concern came from Oakwood Park, the city quickly found $2.2 million in flexible housing funds.

That kind of uneven response sends a message no city should accept: that some neighborhoods get action right away, while others get delay, excuses, and silence. This is bigger than one block. It is about whether Durham will treat residents fairly no matter their zip code, income level, or political influence, and whether unhoused people will be met with real solutions instead of inconsistent crisis management.

I am calling on the Durham City Council to adopt and enforce equal citywide standards for responding to unsanctioned encampments on city-owned land. If Durham can move quickly in one part of the city, it must move quickly in every part of the city. That means clear response expectations, transparent use of available housing funds, and a commitment that neighborhoods near schools are not left waiting while danger and frustration grow.

Please sign this petition if you believe Durham should not have one standard for affluent communities and another for everyone else. Sign if you want accountability, transparency, and equal urgency from city leaders. And sign if you believe our city can protect neighborhoods and support unhoused residents at the same time, but only if it chooses fairness over delay.