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met in August 2004 with the Board of Directors. There are core elements of the plans, as <br />follows: <br />- development of a new Men's Residential Facility offering emergency and longer <br />term housing services and a progressive program model equivalent to IFC's <br />HameStart program for women and children; <br />- establishment of a Comprehensive Services Center, to include consolidated <br />food (kitchen/pantry) services; an intensive case management component; <br />employment training and placement; and an emergency assistance and <br />communications center; <br />- creation of a strong Community Involvement component; and <br />- the enhancement of the HomeStart program. <br />She spoke about IFC's central principles and what has happened over the past five <br />months, such as: <br />- there is close collaboration with local officials to evaluate (zoning/site <br />developmentlcost issues) three potential sites for the Men's Residential Facility; <br />- The Board of Directors is having frequent discussions about use of our <br />Carrboro property for a Comprehensive Service Center; <br />- Funds have been obtained from a foundation for a capital feasibility study; and <br />- Avolunteer-driven Community Involvement component is being developed to <br />raise community awareness about the homeless. <br />Also, IFC and Orange County's HUD Continuum of Care group have joined to create a <br />Community Initiative to End Homelessness to serve as the umbrella for creation of a 10-year <br />plan to end homelessness and follow up on outcomes from the recent community roundtable on <br />homelessness. IFC asks that the County Commissioners and other local administrators <br />recognize that homeless persons are in urgent need of continuum of services and they ask that <br />these unmet needs and activities be included and addressed in the 2005-2009 Orange County <br />Consolidated Housing Plan. <br />Dennis Bradshaw is the Executive Director of Residential Services, Inc. They have been <br />providing residential services for the developmentally disabled in Orange County for 31 years. <br />He wants to make sure that the needs of people with developmental disabilities and other <br />disabilities are not lost in the process. He said that there are more than 30 local people on <br />waiting lists far their services alone. He made reference to a recent article in the Wall Street <br />Journal where a nationwide survey showed that there are 80,000 people with developmental <br />disabilities that are waiting for services. Even mare unknown is the number of people living with <br />families that have aging caregivers. The article cited that there are 700,000 people in the <br />United States whose primary caregiver is 60 years of age and older. These individuals will need <br />services at some point because their caregivers will no longer be able to take care of them. He <br />asked that this need be recognized. <br />Robert Dowling, Executive Director of Orange Community Housing and Land Trust, <br />spoke regarding the consolidated plan. He said that he understands that Tara Fikes has <br />engaged the services of a private consultant to help with a needs assessment. He said that the <br />consultant could tell what the true needs are. He said that the County Commissioners' task <br />farce of 2000-2001 made rental housing a priority and that all of the agencies that do affordable <br />housing have a difficult time providing rental housing. He said that Orange Community Housing <br />and Land Trust have mostly worked with home ownership over the last few years and there has <br />been tremendous growth, which has been a strain. He said that they would be asking for same <br />operating revenues from the HOME funds and also some funds for Northside. <br />