Orange County NC Website
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Service providers for people with special needs face substantial challenges. In 2000, there were <br />7,164 elderly households in Orange County, of which, 61.2 % were low-income. <br />Developmentally disabled and mentally ill in the County both need case management, support <br />services, and outpatient treatment services for monitoring and treatment. Alcohol and substance <br />abusers have access to outpatient services in Orange County, but are required to go out of the <br />County for residential treatment. <br />Orange County had 16 reported cases of HIV disease and eight cases of AIDS in 2004. This <br />represents a marked increase in the number of AIDS and HIV cases. While prevention, medical <br />and support services are available to people with HIV/AIDS, there is also a greater need for <br />permanent supportive housing. <br />Lead-Based Paint Hazards <br />Lead poisoning is one of the worst environmental threats to children in the United States. While <br />anyone exposed to high concentrations of lead can become poisoned, the effects are most <br />pronounced among young children. <br />There are as many as 12,058 occupied housing units in Orange County that contain lead-based <br />paint. Of these units with lead-based paint, 6,001 are owner-occupied and 6,057 are occupied <br />by renters. Up to 5,276 houses may have deteriorated lead-based paint. According to the 2000 <br />Census, there are 16,540 households with annual incomes below $30,000. Applying the <br />assumption that as much as 35% of these low-income households contain lead-based paint <br />hazards results in an estimated 5,789 low-income households with lead-based paint hazards in <br />Orange County. <br />Barriers to Affordable Housing <br />As with other types of development, Orange County's supply of affordable housing is dictated by <br />a variety of factors, the most significant being project affordability, availability of land and <br />infrastructure, developer preference for building high-end housing, and government regulation. <br />To address the Educational Impact Fee, the Orange County Board of Commissioners adopted <br />an impact fee reimbursement policy, which provides funds to nonprofit housing developers <br />constructing rental and owner-occupied housing to enable them to pay the fee without passing <br />the cost to the prospective renters or homebuyers. With this reimbursement, the Board works to <br />alleviate barriers to affordable housing. <br />Impediments to Fair Housing <br />Based on the County's analysis of impediments affecting the furtherance of fair housing, <br />appropriate strategies have been designed and implemented to eliminate or reduce the impact <br />of those barriers. The following recommendations included in the "Fair Housing Plan" promote <br />fair housing within Orange County: <br />Increase the educational opportunities and provide training relating to Fair Housing through <br />workshops, forums and presentations <br />Target specific protected groups for fair housing information <br />Continue to consult with local lending institutions regarding their Community Reinvestment <br />Act activities. <br />[5] <br />