NS - Work First Block Grant Local Plan 10-21-2008-4d

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5 Work First Block Grant Plan Orange County I. Conditions within the County Orange County has a population of 124,313. It is uniquely diverse with 78% Caucasian, 13.8% Black, 4.5% Hispanic, and 4.1% Asian and Other. The per capita income for the county is $41,435. The median family income is $45,527, ranked tenth in the state. Fifty one percent of adults in Orange County have a college education, the highest percentage in the state of North Cazolina. The state average of adults with college education is 22.5%. In Orange County, 87.6% of the population has a high school education compazed to 78% for North Cazolina. The average cost of a home in Orange County is $382,794 and the median cost is $250,000. Orange County's tax rate is 99.8 cents, an increase of 4.18 cents. It is the second highest property tax rate in the state. The unemployment rate for July 2008 was 5.1 percent and has shown a slight increase since Apri12008. In Orange County 16 businesses have either close or lay-off workers this yeaz. Government (county, state, and municipalities) jobs account for 48% of the county's workforce. The current economy with budget shortfalls and major deficits for government has a major impact on job development and placement. Orange County Economic Development Commission's State of the Local Economy Report for Apri12008 captured the top ten employers in the county: • UNC-Chapel Hill • UNC Health Care System • Chapel Hill-Carrboro City Schools • Blue Cross & Blue Shield • Orange County Schools • Orange County Government • Town of Chapel Hill • Sports Endeavors, Inc. • HR Prime LLC • Harris Teeter, Inc. Orange County's current Work First population faces major obstacles in obtaining and retaining employment. Work First participants are competing for jobs with a highly skilled workforce. Unskilled and semi-skilled workers without a high school diploma and a recent connection to the workforce aze unable to obtain jobs that provide a living wage. The high cost of home ownership and the lack of safe, affordable rental housing continue to be a major issue for low-income families in Orange County. Rental households face serious challenges with high costs, inadequate supplies, and competition with university students for limited housing availability.