McDougald Terrace evacuation to cost Durham Housing Authority at least $9 million
The last of the residents displaced from a Durham public housing community have returned to their homes, four months after high carbon monoxide levels forced a mass evacuation, the Durham Housing Authority said Monday.
The cost of moving roughly 325 households to local hotels, replacing gas appliances and making other repairs at McDougald Terrace, the city’s oldest and largest public housing community, will run at least $9 million, DHA stated in a news release.
Maintenance at McDougald Terrace
The housing authority said it installed 218 new electric stoves and 345 furnaces and replaced 35 water heaters at the complex on Lawson Street. Some of the leaking gas stoves were the original stoves from when the complex opened in the early 1950s, CEO Anthony Scott has said.
DHA also said it replaced 110 gas stoves before upgrading the property to electrical appliances.
Some maintenance requests remain, but only emergency repairs will be done for now because of a COVID-19 policy change.
The city of Durham gave DHA $1.4 million to go toward converting all units to electric stoves.
DHA said it is still seeking funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development to cover the total costs. Scott said in the release the final cost is still being determined.
Crisis followed failed inspections
The CO crisis followed failed federal inspections in 2018 and 2019.
HUD gave McDougald Terrace a 34 out of 100 in 2018. A score under 60 is failing.
It re-inspected the community in 2019, giving it a 31 score, The News & Observer and The Herald-Sun have reported.
When evacuations at McDougald Terrace began on Jan. 3, DHA said there were 325 families living there.
At least eight people, including five children, were treated for CO exposure, including a 16-day-old baby, Durham Emergency Management Services has said.
The housing authority said 296 residents have returned to McDougald Terrace and 29 residents were transferred to other DHA properties.
The total cost of relocating residents to hotels, including food and stipends given to residents throughout the four months, was nearly $4 million.
Staff writer Virginia Bridges contributed to this story.
This story was originally published May 4, 2020 at 5:25 PM with the headline "McDougald Terrace evacuation to cost Durham Housing Authority at least $9 million."
