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Wadleigh Harrision said that she sent a memorandum to the County <br />Commissioners. She spoke about the HUD designated income and that the current application <br />for housing falls within the 30°l0 of median income. She said that she requested that these <br />changes be made -that the waiting list be open to families with disabilities, that the plan specify <br />reasonable accommodations that have been successful, any applicants who were dropped from <br />the list and whose failure to respond to the PHA request for informational updates that were due <br />to his or her disability be reinstated in the order that they were originally wait-listed, and that <br />local preferences be honored in administering the waiting list. She said that the disabled have <br />received less than 10°l0 of the vouchers issued. The Club Nova housing will use less than 4% <br />of the current housing vouchers. She said that the PHA was requested to apply for vouchers <br />and there was money specifically targeted to families with disabilities and Orange County did <br />not even apply for this money for disabled. She said that people with mental illness have a <br />harder time following what is said in a letter and what steps need to be taken. The Federal <br />government has provided reasonable accommodations in more than one way and Orange <br />County has not been doing it. She said that she has found out that there are 16 vouchers for <br />Club Nova, 10 of which were issued years ago. She closed by saying that the reinstatement of <br />disabled people who have been dropped from the waiting list and the opening of the waiting list <br />to disabled people has the potential of bringing the local PHA plan into compliance with CMAP <br />for, "proper selection of applicants from the Housing Choice Vouchers list in relation to <br />persons/households with disabilities who need reasonable accommodation in order to be <br />successful applicants and to actually receive and use the vouchers." <br />Commissioner Carey said that he was glad that she brought this forward and that <br />the County should go after these vouchers because they have been frustrated for years about <br />the lack of increase in vouchers. <br />Bobby McCauley said that he was on the waiting list far section 8 about a year ago <br />and then they dropped him because they said that they wrote him a letter that he never <br />received. He was then put at #196 on the waiting list. He said that this was not right for them to <br />do this to him. Chair Jacobs said that he would like someone from staff to speak to Mr. <br />McCauley about this tonight. <br />Heather Nash said that she is a member of Club Nova and she has been a mental <br />health consumer since she was 14 years old. She is now 28 years old. She was on Section 8 <br />and then she was dropped because she received a voucher and was not able to get it because <br />she was in a group home. She does not think it is fair to be dropped from something when you <br />do not know what is going on because of your mental illness or disability. She asked that <br />people be reinstated to the list because of their disabilities. Chair Jacobs said that Greg Wilder <br />is in back to get details and to give them clarification. <br />Karen Dunn thanked the Board of County Commissioners and the Public Housing <br />Agency for coming together. She said that they have a lot of members at Club Nova that have <br />spent time in state hospitals. She asked that people that are in hospitals or group homes could <br />remain an the waiting list so that they do not have to start all over again. <br />Chair Jacobs said that they are sensitive to these issues and one of the good things <br />of the mental health reform is that it is focusing the County at a local level to work more closely <br />at improving services, including housing opportunities. <br />b. Matters on the Printed Agenda <br />(These matters were considered when the Board addressed that item on the <br />agenda below.) <br />3. Board Comments <br />