Elevator Pitch

The Worn Path is a design framework — and a development project in Durham — for housing that stays permanently affordable without relying on anyone’s good intentions. The financial structure legally encodes affordability into the property itself: carrying costs can’t rise with the market and the mission can’t be voted away when priorities change. The community design philosophy borrows from urban design research: instead of programming belonging into existence, build the physical and social conditions where it emerges naturally. Wellspring, the first project built on this framework, targets carrying costs at 30% of income-scaled rent for residents who want to build community and equity, without building personal wealth at their neighbors’ expense.