About us.
Long Run Development is passionate about securing safe, decent, dignified, and affordable housing for all.
At Long Run Development, we believe affordable housing is more than a project—it’s a commitment to equity, community, and long-term impact. We partner with mission-driven organizations to navigate complex development processes with creativity, clarity, and a deep respect for the people and places we serve.
Our Founder.
Ethan Sleeman is the founder and owner of Long Run Development, a Durham, North Carolina–based firm dedicated to creating affordable housing through community-centered, justice-driven development strategies. With a strong background in housing policy and finance, Sleeman has collaborated with organizations like the UNC School of Government to analyze the evolving role of local governments in funding affordable housing projects amid rising costs and shifting tax credit dynamics.
He is also an active advocate for housing equity, participating in initiatives such as NC Housing Day and engaging with policymakers to address funding challenges that impact vulnerable communities.
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Real Estate Development Analyst | Development Finance Initiative
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Ethan worked with the UNC School of Government’s Development Finance Initiative program, preparing detailed analysis to support local government clients across NC in creating feasible real estate development opportunities. He was also a fellow with the team during Grad School!
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Developer | Halcon Companies
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Right out of Grad School, Ethan worked with Halcon Companies (Richmond, VA) as a developer and jumped into the deep end of affordable housing development. Ethan worked on over a dozen projects, helped secure millions in financing, worked through rezonings, and helped spearhead new development types for Halcon.
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Expert Financial Modeler
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Proven Track Record of Development Success
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Trained Facilitator
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Affordable Housing Expert
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Master’s in City and Regional Planning | University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill
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Bachelor’s of Science in Environmental Geography, Magna cum Laude | Ohio University
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Everyone deserves a safe, decent, dignified, and affordable place to call home.
Long Run Development believes that everyone deserves to have a safe, decent, dignified, and affordable place to call home. It’s an ethical and political imperative, and something that we feel passionately about. Creating safe homes for our neighbors is not just a ‘project’ for us, it’s the right thing to do.
At Long Run Development, we believe there’s a right way to do business– and that means being transparent, communicative, and honest. We won’t ask for money a project doesn’t need, but we will be clear about why more funding is necessary when it is. We don’t cut corners or sacrifice quality for convenience. We engage with the community and work to reflect a wide range of voices in the final outcome. Our goal is to build spaces that are accessible, welcoming, and safe for everyone, no matter who they are or where they come from.
Long Run Development is an advocate organization.
We believe that Affordable Housing is everyone’s responsibility, and we’re proud to stand with other advocates and organizations in calling for everything from tenant’s rights to state budget increases to support those aims. We believe in advocating for changes that will make it easier for us to do our work and provide more housing; we also believe in advocating for rules that will protect tenants, fight eviction, reduce justice interactions, and hold property owners accountable. If that makes our jobs ‘harder’, that’s fine by us.
Why 'Long Run Development'?
Where does the name come from? Well on the one hand, affordable housing is about the long haul, about creating stable and sustainable housing options for folks to call home for their whole lives. On the other hand, our founder Ethan is a devoted distance runner and thought the name was cool. And on the Other other hand, Ethan’s partner said it was a good name, and he trusts her judgment!
SUCCESS IN NUMBERS
45K
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10K
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