Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
8 . <br />profit organization as an intermediary will hopefully open the rental market for these <br />families by insuring private landlords that the families are receiving the support they need <br />to be responsible tenants. <br />Rent and Utility Deposits <br />A barrier commonly associated with the housing needs of TANF and TANF <br />eligible families is the inability to pay initial rent deposits and utility deposits <br />when appropriate rental housing is located in the community. A small component <br />of this comprehensive program will provide funds to pay for initial deposits for <br />approximately 20 families. These families would not be participating in the <br />Rental Assistance Program, these costs are already built into the program, but <br />could be participating in the educational component or the homeownership <br />program in the case of utility deposits. <br />This type of financial assistance is presently being provided by a non - profit <br />organization in the County - Inter -Faith Council for Social Service. Discussions <br />are underway with this agency to administer this component of the proposed <br />program in accordance with their current Community Service Program. <br />Homeownership <br />The Orange County TANF Housing Program will utilize current intervention strategies to <br />assist approximately five (5) families become homeowners. Specifically, the proposal <br />recommends working with Habitat for Humanity to assist two (2) families in their efforts <br />to become homeowners. These families would be referred to Habitat for Humanity for <br />eligibility determination according to the organization's existing criteria. They will need <br />to meet the requirements of Habitat including the performance of manual labor or "sweat <br />equity " to help themselves and future Habitat homeowners complete house construction. <br />Future Habitat building plans indicate that the houses for these two candidates would be <br />built in the Efland community in unincorporated Orange County. This provides an <br />opportunity for first -time homeownership in the rural area of the County rather than on <br />the urban fringes. <br />Also, the County anticipates developing a Small Cities CDBG Housing Development <br />Application for this project in the future. We have successfully partnered with Habitat on <br />two homeownership projects utilizing CDBG funding. <br />Additionally, this proposal includes the introduction of an Individual Development <br />Account (IDA) Demonstration Program in Orange County. Individual Development <br />Accounts are restricted savings accounts dedicated to the support of homeownership, <br />post - secondary education, and micro - enterprise. In this proposal, IDAs are proposed <br />strictly for homeownership for five (5) families. <br />Specifically, families referred to this program, would receive basic homebuyer training <br />through the Homebuyer Education Program provided by the Orange Community Housing <br />Corporation and would enroll in the Homebuyers Club sponsored by EmPOWERment, <br />Inc another housing non - profit organization. The Homebuyers Club includes a five -week <br />class and intensive, individual financial counseling that provides on- going, and <br />sometimes longstanding support to families anticipating their first home purchase. While <br />