After two years of caring for their son’s medical needs, Tiffany Solomon and her husband had exhausted their savings. Unable to renew their lease, Solomon’s family bounced between 15 hotels in one month and landed in a homeless shelter for four more, until a case manager helped them find a stable home.
Seven years later, Solomon has helped Durham create a plan to help people like her. By 2031, the city aims to place people experiencing homelessness into existing housing within 30 days. More than 1,400 people currently experience homelessness in Durham, with about 600 people living unsheltered and 284 on shelter waitlists, according to city data.
“This is the perfect time to look at the entire approach—the system, where the fragments are, and try and do something different,” said Solomon, who worked on the plan as a member of the city’s Homeless Services Advisory Committee…