Minutes 06-17-2014 - Laserfiche WebLink

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PUBLIC CHARGE The Chair dispensed with the reading of the public charge. 2. Public Comments a. Matters not on the Printed Aqenda James Strowd is the Executive Director of the Center for Home Ownership, and he is here on behalf of the proposed Orange County Clearinghouse project, which he presented many months ago. He said the program would be a centralized hub of resources, which would include all housing opportunities in Orange County. He said many housing advocates and providers have expressed the need for this, and time is of the essence, particularly as it relates to the 33 residents in Orange County who currently hold section 8 vouchers. He said these residents will be displaced as early as October. He said the clearinghouse would act as a resource for those individuals, as well as housing providers and advocates. He asked for emergency funding for the Orange County Clearinghouse project and the pilot program. He asked the Board to consider this request. Arthur Sprinzeles sits on the affordable housing board. He said he is concerned about affordable housing in Orange County. He said he has 6 children of his own, and all of them have good jobs, but they still cannot afford to live in Orange County. He said there are many low wage earners who don't stand a chance of having decent, safe and affordable housing in Orange County. He understands that many families will be displaced later in the year, and the County needs to get this clearinghouse up and running before residents and tax dollars are lost to other areas. Ginezella Bailey Pridam is a section 8 voucher recipient. She said she is also the vice chair of the AHAB. She said she became one of Orange County's homeless in late November of 2006 related to health issues, lack of healthcare, and loss of income. She said it took her 3 months to find affordable housing with a section 8 voucher after becoming homeless. She said she was displaced a second time due to fire and was without an address, phone, transportation or job. She said the overwhelming frustrations of being displaced included: fear for safety; meeting alone with people you don't know, while trying to locate affordable housing; and relying on the maybes of word of mouth and blind effort. She said there are not enough landlords that will take section 8 vouchers. She said crisis situations can quickly arise for displaced tenants when one resorts to the present method of locating affordable housing in our County. She said the County is in dire need of affordable housing and a more efficient means of locating it. She said a clearinghouse will accomplish this, and will provide education for individuals and existing landlords in hopes of creating advocates that can change the public's perception of section 8 recipients. Tish Galu is a representative of the affordable housing coalition. She said the Center for Home Ownership is one of the coalition's members. She said her organization has been dealing with the residents that have been displaced, and there are 33 families that will be displaced by October. She said this is a crisis situation, and timing is the real issue. She said this database has the ability to help the non-profits learn where there are vacancies and where people can go. She strongly urged the Board to find a way to provide emergency funding for this project. b. Matters on the Printed Aqenda 3. Petitions by Board Members Commissioner porosin wanted to check up on his previous petition about the gun buy- back program.