Rashelle Brooks
City of Durham – Community Development Department
RASHELLE BROOKS is a strategic communicator with 20 years of experience helping organizations work better for the people in them. Most recently, she led internal communications at a tech company, shaping how teams navigate change, adopt AI, and stay connected across silos. Her work blends clarity, trust, and equity and is grounded in her background in social entrepreneurship, recognized by the SBA and the YWCA’s Academy of Sheroes. Brooks holds a BA in Mass Communications from Shaw University.
Project
The City of Durham is expanding access to its generous down payment assistance program, which offers up to $80,000 to qualifying low and moderate-income households, but remains underutilized by eligible residents. The initiative focuses on developing comprehensive outreach strategies, including multi-channel marketing campaigns, targeted community engagement, and strategic partnerships to increase program visibility and accessibility. By connecting more eligible residents with these resources, Durham aims to prevent displacement, provide housing stability, and build intergenerational wealth for families at risk in the city’s rapidly growing real estate market.