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6. SPECIAL PRESENTATIONS -none <br />7. PUBLIC HEARINGS <br />a. Orange County Consolidated Housing Plan Update <br />The Board received public comments regarding the housing and non-housing needs to be <br />included in the 2003-2004 annual update of the consolidated housing plan for housing and community <br />development programs, and proposed uses of 2002-2003 HOME funds. <br />Housing and Community Development Director Tara Fikes said that in May 2000 a <br />consolidated plan for these programs was developed and approved by the U. S. Department of Housing <br />and Urban Development. Each year local communities are required to reassess the needs of the <br />community. This public hearing provides the opportunity for citizens and organizations to provide input <br />into the annual update. The public can also provide comment an the proposed use of approximately <br />$851,000 in HOME funds that the County anticipates receiving this year. Eligible activities include <br />property acquisition, new construction activities, housing rehabilitation, and rental assistance. The <br />applications are due February 21St <br />Jack Chestnut, Vice-Chair of the Advisory Board on Aging and a member of the <br />Affordable Housing Advisory Board, spoke about a couple of projects planned for the Hillsborough area. <br />The projects are for seniors 55 years and older. At least one person that lives in the home has to be 55. <br />He said that he has attended two public hearings on these projects and expressed concern about the <br />properties maintaining affordability and residents not being forced to move out. There is also talk about <br />the projects using Orange Public Transportation for the seniors in these developments. He would like for <br />the County to put some affordable housing in this area like Chapel Hill did in Meadowmont. He would <br />like the County Commissioners to be more involved in these projects. <br />Commissioner Halkiotis verified that these projects were on St. Mary's Road and Orange <br />Grove Road. He asked how the County Commissioners could get involved. <br />Jahn Link said that his staff would follow upon this. <br />Commissioner Jacobs said that this is one good reason to look at the Orange Grove Road <br />corridor study. <br />Commissioner Gordan would like to see more detail on this because there is a consultant <br />that is supposed to work on OPT. She said that OPT is very specific and it is not set up for something <br />like this. <br />Craig Benedict said that Hillsborough has informally said that a re-submittal has been <br />made for the Orange Grove corridor. The Orange Grove corridor report will be coming forward at the <br />February 17th meeting. <br />Chris Moran, Executive Director of the Inter Faith Council, shared a report on hunger and <br />homelessness in major cities. He said that there was a call to action for municipalities to end <br />homelessness in the next 10 years. The Inter Faith Council and the Orange County Continuum of Care <br />is suggesting that Orange County in its housing plan lift the moratorium on Section 8 and consider a <br />county plan to end homelessness. He said that the report says that most cities attribute homelessness <br />to a lack of affordable housing, mental illness and substance abuse and a lack of needed services, low <br />paying jobs, and a significant unmet need for shelters. He made reference to the Continuum of Care and <br />said that this means that there should be shelters, transitional housing opportunities for homeless <br />individuals and families, and permanent housing with services. <br />Robert Dowling from Orange Community Housing updated that they spent their HOME <br />money from several years ago at Meadowmont. Last year they asked for $77,000 of HOME money and <br />that has not been spent. This money is for two projects where they are partnering with private sector <br />developers in Chapel Hill. After they complete Meadowmont they do not have a definitive project ahead <br />of them. They have two potential development opportunities -one is Winmore, which is controversial, <br />and the other is Bolin Creek Ca-housing, which would be homeownership. These two projects will come <br />