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1 <br /> 1 ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COUNTY COMMISSIONERS <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. r� <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: October 21, 1997 <br /> SUBJECT: COOPERATIVE AGREEMENT WITH U.S.DEPARTMENT OF HOUSING <br /> AND URBAN DEVELOPMENT <br /> DEPARTMENT: Human Rights and Relations PUBLIC HEARING: _Yes XX No <br /> BUDGET AMENDMENT NEEDED <br /> _Yes XX No <br /> ------------=-------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> • Correspondence from HUD Lucy Lewis, ext. 2251 <br /> • Cooperative Agreement <br /> TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br /> Hillsborough -732 -8181 <br /> Chapel Hill- 967-9251 <br /> Durham-688-7331 <br /> Mebane - 227-2031 <br /> --------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- <br /> PURPOSE: To approve a Cooperative Agreement as a Fair Housing Assistance Program <br /> (FHAP)between Orange County and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. <br /> BACKGROUND: On September 30, 1997, the Human Relations Commission (HRC) <br /> completed its first year as a Fair Housing Assistance Program (FHAP), having received approval <br /> for an Interim Agreement (Agreement for Interim Referrals or Other Utilization of Service). <br /> Under this agreement, Orange County received $100,000 for capacity-building purposes, <br /> including processing Title VII(fair housing)complaints,from 10/1/96-9/30/97. <br /> The attached Cooperative Agreement provides for the continuation of a mutually agreed-upon <br /> process for handling housing discrimination complaints that are within the jurisdiction of both <br /> Orange County and HUD. This Agreement also provides for a second year of funding in the <br /> amount of $100,000 for capacity-building purposes, including complaint processing, education <br /> and outreach, training and data collection. Upon successful completion of a third year under an <br /> Interim Agreement, Orange County will receive substantial equivalency certification. At that <br /> time, the County will receive partial reimbursement for each closed housing discrimination case, <br /> as long as-the County continues to meet substantial equivalency performance standards. That <br /> amount is currently $1,700 per closed case. The HRC closed six housing discrimination <br /> complaints during the previous federal fiscal year, all of which were successfully conciliated. <br /> RECOMMENDATION: The Manager recommends that the Board approve the Cooperative <br /> Agreement and authorize the Chair to sign. <br />