Full name: Ashley N. Robbins
Party affiliation: Unaffiliated
Campaign website: www.thebullcityvanguard.com
1) In 300 words or less, please give our readers your elevator pitch: Why are you running? Why should voters entrust you with this position? What prior experience will make you an effective member of the Durham City Council?
I am running for Durham City Council Ward II on an anti-capitalist platform. I believe that Durham has a serious problem with concentration of power amongst elite business owners, real estate developers, politicians, etc. both Black and white, seen and unseen, and these alliances ensure that many of the decisions that are made benefit a small group of people at the expense of the rest of us. I am running to organize folks against this system that prioritizes profits over people. I manage a community fridge in Bragtown and want the community members who visit the fridge to know that their lack of access to fresh food is a result of systemic decisions made that disregard poor and working-class people. I believe we need an organized coalition of folks who will continue to do the work beyond an election. I am running to highlight how inaccessible government is from the perspective of a resident and a candidate. It is not designed for those of us who work full-time to participate. It isn’t designed with people with disabilities in mind.
2) What would your priorities be as a member of the city council? Please identify three of the most pressing issues Durham currently faces and how you believe the city should address them.
Housing is probably the most pressing issue in the city right now and would be my top priority. Durham has seen a dramatic increase in the number of unhoused residents since COVID-19. Rent has steadily increased and it has gotten more difficult to purchase a home as investors buy up properties.Capitalism treats housing as a commodity, not a right and it will never be affordable under this system. We need more social/public housing that is owned by the government and non-profits with community ties, co-ops, and land trusts. We need to provide property tax relief and ensure long-term homeowners have access to resources to keep them in their homes. The housing issue is framed as one of supply when that is really not the case. Durham has a high apartment vacancy rate, particularly luxury apartments downtown. There are almost two dozen vacant properties per unhoused person. We do not need to build more. We need to manage our housing supply more effectively and efficiently. We need to invest more government dollars into redevelopment, rehabilitation, and revitalization projects instead of consistent new development. Housing policy under
capitalism is predicated on fattening the pockets and portfolios of developers, mortgage lenders, and landlords without regard for the needs of the poor and working-class. Many of our pension funds and investments are linked to real estate, so there is a vested interest in maintaining the systems that keep housing unaffordable and unattainable. Like many cities across the country, Durham relies heavily on enticing private investors to build “affordable” housing by changing zoning laws. These developers often do not deliver and receive a much higher return on their “investments” than the communities they disrupt. As long as private equity is responsible for housing, it will not be affordable. Under our current housing models, profit is the motive, not people! Socialized housing ensures residents are not cost-burdened, spending more than 30% of their income on housing-related expenditures. Until we can adequately invest in social housing, Durham should improve public space management to ensure unhoused community members have safe, equitable access to public spaces. Since so many people are living outside, by choice or by force, the city should create designated camps w/ access to cooking facilities, trash disposal & recycling, bathrooms w/ composting toilets, & showers to maintain the dignity of these residents. They are part of our community, & we can learn a lot from their survival methods. The city should promote adaptive reuse & rehabilitation of existing structures such as older hotels/motels, rooming houses etc. to provide rapid housing. Durham can support housing co-ops w/ group ownership, land trusts, incentivize residents who create affordable housing options (renting rooms, building ADUs, tiny homes & rent them below market rate), implement eviction diversion programs & property tax relief programs to prevent additional residents from losing shelter.
The environment is also another pressing issue in Durham and high on my list of priorities. All other initiatives are in vain if we are not working towards restoring and preserving our environment. Due to climate change, our natural disasters are going to get increasingly more destructive. We need to be preparing for it and doing as much as we can to reverse our ecological footprint. This may mean scrutinizing development more intensely. We have found lead in several of our public parks and there is likely high concentration of lead in our public housing projects.
Community safety is another pressing issue in Durham. I support community safety and community defense initiatives that promote community control. I know many folks think of gun violence when referring to safety. I believe access to fresh, healthy food, reliable transportation, housing, access to leisure, and access to clean air and water are just as important as addressing gun violence. If we are serious about confronting the gun violence issue in the city, we need to push to overturn the Tiahrt Amendment that makes it impossible to trace firearms. Additionally, we need to make real investments in education and our youth as young people are disproportionately the victims and perpetrators of violence in Durham. It is imperative we reimagine community safety and take a proactive approach as opposed to a reactionary one. I am a proponent of community control of the police and public safety where neighborhoods elect review boards that have investigative and policy-making powers. We know that crime is a direct reflection of socioeconomic conditions under capitalism. Our safety as a community is directly related to our ability to meet the needs of our people As long as poor and working-class communities continue to be pillaged through land, wage, and labor theft/exploitation, and folks are unable to afford basic necessities like food and shelter “crime” will persist. Dismantling capitalism and eliminating poverty and systemic inequities is the only real way to keep our communities safe. The real crime in Durham is considered “white collar” crime. The real crime consists of elite business owners, PACs, and politicians who use their positions of power and access to further enrich themselves at the expense of the communities they claim to serve.
I support the full funding and expansion of programs like HEART that promote community health and safety, as well as local mutual aid networks that are effectively and efficiently addressing community needs with limited resources. We need wrap-around support services and coordination/continuation of care for the most vulnerable among us.
A large percentage of our community members who present public safety challenges are our young people. We need to reinvest in the youth. I support substantial investment in youth athletics, before and after school programs, summer enrichment programs, late night recreation centers, youth employment programs, youth trade apprenticeships, etc. to provide the young people in the city with safe, healthy outlets and third spaces to gather.
Accessibility and Disability Justice is another one of my priorities. I believe that Durham must eliminate barriers that exclude disabled residents from full civic participation. My career in disability services affords me expertise to push for accessible public spaces, city services, and community programs. My advocacy is rooted in the belief that a just society uplifts those at the margins.
3) What’s the best or most important thing the Durham City Council has done in the past year? Additionally, name a decision you believe the city should have handled differently. Please explain your answers.
I think supporting the Walltown Small Area Plan was one of the most important things the council has done this past year. It demonstrates the need for intentional engagement with the communities most impacted by planning decisions and prioritizing the needs of the residents who have experienced historical disinvestment and disproportionately impacted by planning decisions.
The approval of the rezoning request on Doc Nichols road last year was a poor decision that lacked foresight. It is just one example of city council eagerly approving development without the infrastructure in place to support it. In addition to it being a poor decision, the opponents who expressed concerns about traffic and flooding were condescended to by members of the council (which is unfortunately a common occurrence).
4) President Trump is working to ramp up deportations and curtail visas. At the same time, the state legislature has passed laws requiring cooperation with ICE. What do you think Durham officials can or should do to ensure safe, welcoming communities for immigrants in light of these policies?
I believe the city should refuse to cooperate with ICE and provide grassroots organizations that work with immigrant communities with the resources to protect their people (ICE watch, Know Your Rights trainings, phone trees, etc. ). I believe Durham officials should lobby the state and federal government to protect immigrants and pressure powerful entities such as Duke to push for legal protections for their students and workers. I would not support cooperation with ICE. I would not support asking immigration status questions in employment or housing questions. I support workers rights regardless of immigration status. I support creating an anonymous hotline for workers to report abuse, harassment, worker violations, etc. I support establishing an immigrant advisory board. I support improving language access
** I would primarily coordinate with immigrant rights organizations to determine exactly what is needed **
5) Federal funding cuts this year have hit the Triangle particularly hard, from canceled grants to layoffs, and local government officials are having to make difficult decisions about what to fund and how. What are your ideas for how the city can prioritize competing funding needs, close funding gaps, and balance the financial burden on residents?
I support the Durham Rising campaign to pressure Duke to participate in the Payment in Lieu of Taxes (PILOT) program. I believe this would provide substantial funds to the city.
6) As climate change leads to more intense rainfall, communities are at greater risk of inland flooding, such as the historic floods in parts of the Triangle caused by Tropical Storm Chantal in July. How would you like Durham to address climate resilience, particularly flooding?
I support re-evaluation of our flood plans to determine potential areas of focus and conducting risk assessments. I support consulting with emergency management to develop proactive plans to respond to potential flooding. I support deeper scrutiny on development around environmental concerns. I support planting rain gardens and upgrading infrastructure when able.
7) Describe what sustainable growth and development mean to you. Additionally, what is another municipality you believe has made smart decisions related to growth and development that could be similarly implemented in Durham?
Sustainable growth and development means balancing the needs of the present so that those who inherit the world after us are left with an environment that is just as good or better than the one we inherited. It means reducing our carbon footprint and being ecologically responsible in order to preserve the planet.
8) Downtown Durham continues to see growth, with large commercial developments and hundreds of new housing units, yet businesses say they’re still suffering. How would you reinvigorate this major business district?
To be honest, until we address our housing issue and the number of people we have sleeping in tents or outside downtown, I do not think we should prioritize reinvigorating businesses. I believe that people are more important than profits and we all need to be collaborating on how to ensure our collective survival as human beings over sustaining businesses. I believe business owners should be identifying what they can do to help the community at large. And doing this will reinvigorate this area. People need to feel in community. We are tired of being reduced to consumers.
9) The City of Durham is realigning its homelessness services. What can or should the city be doing to support this growing population, especially in light of recent changes to state law governing encampments and financial pressures on service providers?
The city can look into repurposing existing structures to convert into temporary housing. The city can improve public space management to create managed camp sites. Rapid housing (housing first). The city can offer extended hours at rec centers and some public libraries to allow unhoused residents safe public spaces. The city can set up case management through agencies such as HEART to provide wrap around services.
10) According to the Triangle Community Foundation, there’s a mismatch between the price point of housing units available in Durham and what Durham renters can afford, amounting to a nearly 25,000-unit deficit for low-income renters. What can the city do to ensure Durham housing is affordable for current and future residents?
The city needs to push the limits of the law and stop saying what cannot be done because of Dillion’s law or other regulatory barriers. The city should offer incentives to property owners who help legitimately solve the housing crisis by providing rental units below market rate that are targeted to poor and middle-class residents. “Affordable” is subjective. We have enough units to house our residents. The prices need to be adjusted. As previously stated, I support social/public housing, co-operatives, and land trusts. I believe we have to reduce the role of investors and private equity.
11) For some residents, gun violence remains a persistent issue even though shootings and other violent crimes are currently down from last year. How would you rate the progress the city has made and what are your ideas for improving public safety?
As previously stated, I believe if we are serious about addressing gun violence, we must work to repeal the Tiahrt Amendment that prevents maintaining and sharing data related to firearm tracing. While it is important to address the root causes of why people result to gun violence (poverty, gentrification, stress, etc .) it is also important to address how and why guns are so accessible in our poorest communities, particularly ones that are predominantly Black. I think the city should empower neighborhoods to develop their own safety patrols that are proactive instead of reactionary. Real safety is in prevention.
12) If there are other issues you want to discuss, please do so here.
It is really crucial to break up the pro-development bloc on city council. They are selling the city off and pushing poor and working-class people further and further out. It feels like a second wave of urban renewal is about to accelerate.
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