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7 <br />expenses will be covered by SFR11 assistance. The cost of relocation will be part of the loan <br />associated with SFR11 and the average cost cannot exceed $1,000 per assisted household. <br />Who will do the work on the homes? Orange County is obligated under SFR11 to ensure that <br />quality work is done at reasonable prices and that all work is contracted through fair, open and <br />competitive process. To meet those very difficult requirements, Orange County will invite bids <br />only from contractors who are part of an "approved contractor's registry". <br />To be on the registry, contractors must (1) fill out an application form, listing several references <br />and recent jobs completed, and (2) receive the "conditional approval" of Orange County. Once a <br />contractor has been conditionally approved has successfully completed on job for Orange <br />County, his or her status is upgraded to "regular approval", meaning that they will be allowed to <br />bid on a regular rotation as long as they remain in good standing. (Homeowners who know of <br />quality rehabilitation contractors that are not on Orange County's Approved Contractors Registry <br />are welcome to invite them to apply.) <br />From three to five approved contractors will be invited to bid on each job, and the lowest <br />responsive and responsible bidder will be selected for the contract. "Responsive and <br />responsible" means the contractor (1) is deemed able to complete the work in a timely fashion, <br />and (2) that the bid is within 15% (in either direction) of Orange County's cost estimate. In the <br />event that more than five approved contractors wish to compete, licensed contractors will take <br />precedence. If required, lead based paint hazard reduction and/or abatement will be performed <br />by contractors who are trained and certified to per form such work. <br />What are the steps in the process, from application to completion? Now that you have the <br />information about how to qualify for the 2011 Single-Family Rehabilitation Program, what work <br />can be done, and who will do it, let's go through all the major steps in the process: <br />1. Completing an Application form: Homeowners who wish to apply for assistance must <br />do by November 1, 2011. Apply by contacting Renee D. Holmes, Housing Programs <br />Coordinator, at (919) 245-2495. Proof of ownership and income will be required. Those <br />who have applied for housing assistance from Orange County in the past will not <br />automatically be reconsidered. Anew application must be submitted. <br />2. Preliminary Inspection: Orange County Rehabilitation Specialist will visit the homes of <br />eligible households to determine the need and feasibility of the home for rehabilitation. <br />3. Screening of Applicants: Applications will be rated and ranked by Orange County based <br />on the priority system outlined on page 3 and the feasibility of rehabilitating the house. <br />Households to be offered assistance will be selected at the end of each month until <br />November 30, 2011. Household income will be verified for program purposes only <br />(information will be kept confidential) and ownership of property will be verified by <br />conducting a title search. From this review, the three (3) most qualified applicants will be <br />chosen according to the priority system described above. There will also be a list of two <br />(2) alternates. Orange Count will then submit to NCIIFA a SFRI 1 Loan Application and. <br />Reservation Re~C uest fo1-~n for each potential borro`ver for approval of SFR furtdin~. <br />Applicants not selected for SFR assistance will be notified in writing. <br />6 <br />