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A motion was made by Commissioner Rich, seconded by Commissioner Price to <br /> proclaim the month of February as "Human Relations Month" in Orange County and <br /> authorizethe Chair to sign the proclamation. <br /> VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 5. Public Hearings <br /> a. Orange County Consolidated Housing Plan Update <br /> The Board received comments from the public regarding the housing and non-housing <br /> needs to be included in the Annual Update of the 2010-2015 Consolidated Housing Plan for <br /> Housing and Community Development Programs in Orange County and proposed uses of <br /> 2014-2015 HOME funds. <br /> Tara Fikes reviewed the background information from the abstract. She said her <br /> department anticipates receiving the same amount in funding as last year ($333,418) for <br /> acquisition, rental assistance, new construction and housing rehabilitation. <br /> Commissioner Pelissier referred to the Plan to End Homelessness and asked if there <br /> are any items in this grant to encourage permanent housing. <br /> Tara Fikes said the housing department tries to make sure that the community knows <br /> that there is interest in creating more permanent housing. She said there is a real push for this <br /> during the preparation of the continuum of care application, and the hope is that this carries <br /> over. <br /> Commissioner Rich asked if there is anything additional or outside of the box being <br /> done that is not listed in the plan. <br /> Tara Fikes said she cannot think of anything at this point, but she will give this some <br /> thought. <br /> Chair Jacobs said the Senior Housing that was done with a private developer was a <br /> major investment of housing bond funds. <br /> PUBLIC COMMENT: <br /> Mary Jean Sada said she is the chief operating officer of CASA, an organization that <br /> develops and manages rental housing for mostly disabled and homeless citizens. She said <br /> one of their tenants, John, a veteran, lost his job and then his housing. She said he ended up <br /> camping in the woods for 4 years before an outreach worker found him and developed a <br /> relationship with him. The outreach worker was able to put him in touch with the VA and then <br /> with CASA. Mary Jean Sada said John now has his own apartment funded by the County <br /> Commissioners. She said having a safe secure place enables him to cook, clean, and make <br /> all of his appointments at the VA. She said John has expressed that the ability to only pay <br /> 30% of his income for rent allows him to even get a burger once in awhile. <br /> Mary Jean Sada said this is one example of the power of affordable housing, and she <br /> advocates for these funds to serve the County's most vulnerable populations. She said <br /> housing is one of the simplest solutions for homelessness. She advocated for funding for <br /> more affordable apartments and for rapid re-housing. She said the rapid re-housing is <br /> beneficial because it takes people out of the IFC shelter and places them in housing quicker, <br /> and it also provides a bridge for some people to prevent them from becoming homeless. She <br /> acknowledged Tara Fikes and her staff for their dedication and commitment to finding housing <br /> solutions in Orange County. <br /> Susan Levy, Executive Director for Habitat for Humanity, said Habitat has developed 11 <br /> creative partnerships in 2013 to build 11 new homes. She said the families who purchase <br />