Durham County Government leaders got an early look this week at Sankofa Landing, a 156-unit affordable housing community taking shape off Dearborn Drive in the Bragtown neighborhood of Northeast Durham. The development, set to open this fall, will offer one- to three-bedroom apartments aimed at easing a housing crunch that has built for years across the county.
Durham County Government shared photos from an early-bird tour of the site in a Facebook post, describing Sankofa Landing as a new affordable housing community that will help meet the growing need for housing options in Durham. The project is designed to add meaningfully to the city's affordable housing inventory at a time when demand keeps climbing.
The scale of the investment behind Sankofa Landing is substantial. Developer LDG Development entered the North Carolina market with a combined $100 million dual-project investment that also includes The Preserve at Gresham Lake in Raleigh. LDG is one of the nation's largest affordable housing developers, with more than 25,000 units across 10 states, according to the company.
How Public and Private Dollars Came Together
Financing for the 9.4-acre project drew on a mix of federal, local, and private sources. Sankofa Landing received funding through a joint $27 million ARPA City-County Affordable Housing Partnership, in which Durham County matched the City of Durham's $13.5 million contribution to support 485 new affordable housing units across six local projects, according to Durham County Government.
The City of Durham separately allocated $7,072,858 in municipal housing funds to the project, following an April 2023 resolution by the Durham Housing Authority Board of Commissioners approving preliminary issuance of Multifamily Housing Revenue Bonds. On the private side, financial execution was structured using Low-Income Housing Tax Credit equity managed by R4 Capital alongside funding from PNC Bank, per the same county account.
Once complete, monthly rents at Sankofa Landing are projected to range from $1,118 to $1,940 for its one- to three-bedroom apartments, catering to households earning at or below 80% of the area median income, the county notes. Construction officially began with a groundbreaking ceremony on February 11, 2025, on Dearborn Drive, setting up the fall 2026 opening county officials toured this week.
A VFW Post Joins the Residential Site
Beyond housing, the 9.4-acre development includes a 5,000-square-foot facility designated to serve as the Durham Post for the Veterans of Foreign Wars, giving the VFW dedicated space while sharing access to broader site amenities, according to the county account. It's a detail that sets Sankofa Landing apart from a typical apartment build and folds a veterans' community hub directly into the residential footprint.
Part of a Larger Push Against a Population Boom
Sankofa Landing represents a milestone in Durham's multi-year strategy to combat housing unaffordability driven by a 10% countywide population surge between 2015 and 2026, per Durham County Government. That growth has placed sustained pressure on the local rental housing supply, particularly for lower- and moderate-income workers.
The project also connects to Durham's broader $160 million “Forever Home, Durham” program, anchored by a 2019 voter-approved $95 million housing bond. By March 2026, that program had created 1,668 new affordable rental homes and preserved 888 existing units, exceeding its baseline goals of 1,600 created and 800 preserved, according to Smart Cities Dive. Durham County also committed $1 million in 2025 to the Durham Affordable Housing Loan Fund, an initiative designed to leverage $3 in private investment for every $1 of public money allocated.
While Durham has surpassed its initial Forever Home benchmark targets for new unit creation and preservation, ongoing challenges remain around federal spending deadlines for ARPA funds, set for late 2026, and rising regional cost-of-living pressures. Sankofa Landing follows other recent Durham efforts, including Maple Creek's grand opening in East Durham, as the city and county continue layering federal, municipal, and private financing to keep pace with demand.
