Tenants from two Durham affordable housing communities publicly launched new tenant associations on Thursday, marking a necessary escalation in their collective effort to secure safer living conditions and stronger accountability from their landlord, DHIC.

Tenants claimed a major victory Monday as the Durham City Council unanimously voted in favor of a new ordinance that would criminalize the collection of rent by landlords overseeing dangerous and unlivable conditions. TTU members have been working for several months to secure this ordinance; attending multiple work sessions, gathering stories from their neighbors, driving…