Page Corners – Affordable Living Designed with Durham’s People in Mind

Amalia Rizos
6 hours ago
3 min read

Mayor Leonardo at Groundbreaking Ceremony

As Durham grows, Page Corners is redefining what affordable housing can be—accessible, welcoming, and thoughtfully designed. Durham’s housing crisis is urgent: rents have soared more than 50% in the past five years, and nearly one in three renters are cost-burdened—spending over 30% of their income just to keep a roof overhead[1]. For essential workers like teachers, nurses, and first responders, finding affordable housing near their Bull City jobs has become extremely challenging.

Page Corners offers real relief. This 7.1-acre development located at the intersection of Page Road and Chin Page Road will deliver 160 rental units across four 4-story multi-family residential buildings—a 100% affordable housing development. This funding model is unique: The project is financed through tax-exempt bond financing and 4% Low-Income Housing Tax Credits (LIHTC), with the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) administering the program and ensuring compliance. The tax credits generated by the project attract private investment in the community.

Equity in Action

Page Corners proves that affordability and quality can coexist. This gated community offers a mix of state-of-the-art one-, two-, and three-bedroom units designed for comfort and security. ADA units feature fully accessible interiors, from countertop heights to door clearances to clear circulation paths. Unlike many affordable housing developments where amenities are "value-engineered" out to save costs, Page Corners prioritizes the resident experience. Outdoor spaces include playgrounds, activity centers, gathering spaces, pocket parks, and a pool deck. The goal of this space is to create a premium experience inside and out—a place residents feel proud to call home, at an affordable rental rate.

Amenities That Matter

Meeting both City of Durham and NCHFA requirements, the design team worked to create spaces that are inviting and highly functional. The clubhouse anchors the community with a pool, fitness space, and indoor kitchen, extended outdoors with a custom-designed outdoor kitchen and overhead structure for shade, high-quality seating, and grilling stations. Each building will have immediate access to an outdoor gathering space, plus a central lawn for yard games like cornhole.

Landscape Design Highlights

Landscape design plays a vital role in creating a sense of place. Plant materials were selected intentionally: canopy and understory trees are North Carolina natives; foundation plantings of grasses and evergreen shrubs provide year-round interest. Courtyards feature custom planting designs, while the main entrance monument signage boasts an eye-catching landscape palette. Plant selections prioritize drought tolerance and adaptability, sourced from local nurseries to ensure resilience and beauty. These permanent plantings of trees, shrubs, and grasses provide visual interest and color year-round.

Qunity’s Role

Qunity partnered with Lincoln Avenue Communities from the start, bringing our core disciplines of land planning, landscape architecture, and civil engineering to every stage. We directly supported Morning Star Law Group through the rezoning process, led site layout from schematic design through design development, spearheaded the construction drawing approval pursuit, and provided permitting support.

Rezoning and entitlements were completed in 10 months. Following a special Expedited Review process for 100% Affordable Housing projects in Durham, the Site Plan approval was secured in under six months, followed by Construction Drawing approval in five months. These accelerated achievements are a testament to our spirit of collaboration, proven design expertise, and familiarization with the process—driven by the urgency of Durham’s housing needs.

Our involvement doesn’t stop there: we will continue supporting the project through offsite road improvement design approvals and construction administration, ensuring Page Corners is delivered on time and to the highest standard. Construction has begun this Q1 of 2026, with an anticipated 18-month build cycle

Discover how Page Corners is shaping Durham’s future— Read more about the project in this CBS17 feature: https://www.cbs17.com/news/local-news/durham-county-news/under-the-radar-57-million-project-to-bring-durham-160-affordable-apartments/