Durham Reporter

Durham is divvying up its COVID-19 relief funds, and nonprofit agencies will be among the beneficiaries.

The City received more than $20 million to help it recover from the pandemic that tamped down economic activity for more than a year. The Durham City Council on Monday said approximately half of the 71 nonprofits that applied for financial support will reap some of the funding.

"We really want to make transformative change with this funding,” DeDreana Freeman, City councilmember, said in a recent WRAL report. 

Council members told the news station that picking from among the applicants was not an easy job; indeed, it was one they viewed as potentially shaping the future of Durham. 

Three of the winning groups are the Community Empowerment Fund, the Latino Community Credit Union, and the Kramden Institute.

“I am mindful that this is a once-in-a-generation opportunity and we could really like do some game-changing work." Freeman said, referring to the windfall funding. She added that she hopes the money will assist the City in tackling the root causes of crime by taking care of such things as providing better mental health care and affordable housing.

The Council whittled down the field to 34 proposals, with each receiving up to $1 million. 

The City hopes to get the money to those groups soon, but there is no timeline, the report said.

"It does no good sitting in the City’s bank account,” Councilwoman Jillian Johnson said. 

There is approximately $22 million more to distribute, and the City Council has yet to determine how best to do that.