Duron Chavis, executive director of Happily Natural Day, recently announced his resignation from the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust Board of Directors after serving for seven years.

Chavis’ letter, posted on his website and social media platforms last week, stated that his resignation was due to leadership discrepancies within MWCLT, a nonprofit organization that develops and maintains affordable and equitable homeownership. 

The letter highlighted several setbacks faced by Bensley Agrihood, a proposed affordable housing project centered around urban farming and a wellness center in Chesterfield County’s Bensley neighborhood, as a major factor in his decision. In June, leaders of the organizations involved in the project withdrew a rezoning application after the county’s planning commission issued four deferrals, stalling the project’s progress. They cited discrimination in the zoning process as the primary reason. 

The Bensley Agrihood project, organized by MWCLT, Happily Natural Day and Girls For A Change in 2021, was a $6.5 million proposal for a 7-acre site that would include 10 single-family homes, four “micro-homes” and 1.62 acres of farmland. However, Chavis said MWCLT was not sincere in its commitment to affordable and equitable housing. 

“Over the course of the last year, the Bensley Agrihood project has given me unrequited insight into the anxiety and lack of resoundingly firm commitment to racial equity that the Maggie Walker Community Land Trust has,” Chavis stated in his letter. 

In response to inquiries about the project and Chavis’ allegations, MWCLT Chief Executive Officer Erica Sims issued a statement acknowledging Chavis’ departure from the board but did not address the trust’s involvement in the project or the allegations regarding its leadership. 

“We thank Duron for his service on our board,” Sims said. “We remain focused on our mission to develop and steward permanently affordable housing opportunities that foster racially equitable communities.” 

Chavis emphasized that there was no animosity between him and the trust, adding the letter was intended to ensure public transparency. However, the letter was inaccessible on his social media and website on Sunday. 

Chavis said the project will continue its partnership with Happily Natural Day and Girls For A Change. The organizers also are exploring the next phase of their strategy, including alternative methods to subdivide parcels and identifying a new partner for affordable housing. 

“We feel like we have a solid vision and with the right partners in place, we can make it real,” Chavis said.