Agenda - 04-09-2013 - 5a - Laserfiche WebLink

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7 1 Housing and Community Development Director, Tara Fikes said their last plan was 2 completed in May of 2010 and they did identify three goals in Orange County. One of those 3 goals was to provide decent and affordable housing for lower income households through the 4 following efforts: 1) Assisting low income home owners living in sub-standard housing, 2) 5 providing rental units for low income residents, 3) assisting people who lack indoor plumbing, 4) 6 helping low income renters become home owners, and 5) help extremely low income renters 7 find affordable housing. 8 She said that the second goal was to assist the homeless in finding housing as well as 9 services to maintain housing, and the third goal was to assist in provision housing and services 10 for the special needs population. She asked for any additional comments regarding needs in 11 the community. 12 Tara Fikes said that the second purpose of this meeting was to hear comments about 13 the proposed usage of the HOME investment partnership dollars. She said this program allows 14 activities such as property acquisition, new construction, housing rehabilitation and rental 15 assistance. She said they are unsure about final fund allocations for this year, but they are 16 proceeding with the plan under the assumption that they will receive at least the same funds as 17 last year, which equaled $383,485. She said there has also been program investment and 18 some projects that no longer require funding, leaving another $180,000 available as well. 19 Chair Jacobs said affordable housing was a topic of conversation at the Board retreat 20 last week and there will be a joint dinner meeting with Affordable Housing Advisory Board on 21 March 12. 22 Commissioner Dorosin asked if there was there anything in this plan substantively 23 different from last year's plan and he asked for clarification of how much of last years' money 24 was allocated to the low income rental units. 25 Tara Fikes said that the plan is the same as it was last year and it is a five year plan that 26 remains in place until 2015. With regard to the rental units, she said, $50,000 was provided for 27 rental assistance in support of the homeless outreach program. She said they also allocated 28 $37,000 for housing rehabilitation funding for complexes in Chapel Hill (Elliot Woods and Chase 29 Park), and $90,000 to EMPOWERMENT for purchase of rental apartments to rent to low 30 income people. 31 Commissioner Dorosin asked if the latest copy of the CDBG, showing impediments to 32 fair housing, could be provided, and Tara Fikes said yes. 33 34 PUBLIC COMMENT: 35 Susan Levy, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity, gave a brief overview of 2012. 36 She said there were twelve creative partnerships formed to build twelve new homes this past 37 year. She said that eleven of those homes were in the Phoenix Place subdivision in Historic 38 Rogers Road and one of those homes was in the Fairview Community. She noted that families 39 who purchase from Habitat are local people who work and provide services within the 40 community. She said that most of the families served, lived in overcrowded apartments, paid 41 over 30% of their income for rent, and had high utility cost and lack of repair service. She noted 42 that once the people move into Habitat homes, mortgage cost is often less than prior rental 43 costs and utility cost is lower, which leaves more income to be spent in the local economy and 44 to meet basic needs. 45 Susan Levy said that low and very low income households were also served through a 46 new exterior repair program called Brush of Kindness, and she stressed the pressing need for 47 these types of repair projects and the goal of increasing this service. She said Habitat had 48 nearly 2000 volunteers, who logged more than 1700 volunteer hours. She noted that Habitat 49 home owners paid a total of$304,455 in property taxes. She said that HOME funds have been 50 a critical factor in building efforts. She said that 225 homes have been built. Four homes are