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Plan and also the potential use of an estimated $665,560 in HOME dollars they expect to receive in the year 2006-2007. Regarding the Consolidated Housing Plan, the County completed the plan last year and submitted it to HUD in May 2005, who approved it. This document guides the housing strategy for the next five years as it relates to the use of federal funds. She made reference to page 9 of the abstract, which is an outline of the goals included in the strategic plan. She reviewed the goals. She pointed out page 5 at the very bottom, and that it should read that there are 1,300 people an the waiting list for Section 8 housing as of today. Also, at the top of page 6, the number of families on the waiting list for public housing should be 220 families. She highlighted the eligible uses of HOME funds: property acquisition, new construction, housing rehabilitation, and rental assistance. PUBLIC COMMENT: Delores Bailey, Executive Director of Empowerment, Inc., thanked the Board of County Commissioners and Tara Fikes for helping them address affordable housing. She is representing five non-profits -Affordable Rentals, Inc., Orange Community Housing Land Trust, Chrysalis Foundation, Habitat for Humanity, and Empowerment. She introduced the representatives of all of these groups. She said that together they own 58 affordable rental units throughout Orange County, but everyday operations of these units is unsustainable and a detriment to how they are handling the properties individually. They are proposing, collectively, to provide a single non-profit affordable rental property management service available to all non- profit housing groups in this region. The position would be managed by Empowerment, Inc., with comments and queries from other non-profit directors. Tonight they are requesting funds for this group for salary for the property management position. They are requesting $13,500 from Orange County and the Town of Chapel Hill individually and $6,800 from the Town of Carrboro. Each non-profit will then pay $50 per unit per month into a reserve account, which will support the maintenance of these units. She said that they have decided that they can do better collectively what they are trying to do individually. Nancy Milo said that Delores Bailey spoke for all of them. She said that they are asking the County to fill in the gap that they cannot quite meet for property management. They think this is innovative and that it will work. Chair Jacobs said that these are people who have worked on the Affordable Housing Task Farce, which led to the creation of the Affordable Housing Advisory Board. Robert Dowling from Orange Community Housing and Land Trust said that he has looked at the consolidated plan. He said that he is aware of several projects in the pipeline in Orange County. He said that there are at least 100 units coming to the Land Trust and it is wonderful to have these, but what is missing is the rental piece. He thinks the proposal that Delores Bailey outlined is very sound and makes a lot of good sense. He said that the Land Trust is in pretty good financial shape and he does not anticipate asking for an increase this year. However, they may need more money for the Waterstone development. The developer has given them free land and $5,000 per unit. They will be asking far another $5,000 per unit from the HOME funds. They have also requested and received $15,000 of HOME money in the past for operating expenses, and they will be asking for that again. Chair Jacobs said that the public hearing would be kept open until they meet again in Chapel Hill on February 21St Chair Jacobs encouraged the non-profits to also solicit Hillsborough's contribution. He also suggested including on page 5 the average house price outside of the Chapel Hill area. Chair Jacobs mentioned that there is a 6°~ reduction in funding for HOME appropriations from the White House.