Agenda - 04-07-2015 - 6a - Laserfiche WebLink

Browse Search

12 1 2 IFC has been operating the Community House and HomeStart at this scale since 1998 when 3 our HomeStart facility opened on land generously made available by the Commissioners. 4 Currently nearly 57%, or $994,000, of our $1.75 million cash budget, supports Community 5 House, HomeStart and the free clinic. Included in this funding is approximately $40,000 in local 6 government dollars and $59,000 from the federal Emergency Solutions Grant. 7 8 From our vantage point, we believe the FY 2015-20 Consolidated Plan should consider 9 the following factors: 10 11 1. The new Inter-Faith Council @SECU Community House is scheduled to open in September 12 2015 and will provide 52 beds for a men's transitional housing program. At HomeStart, IFC 13 also has ten bedrooms available for women—and women with children—enrolled in a 14 transitional housing program. Last fiscal year 87 men, women, and children successfully found 15 permanent housing after completing the program at IFC. This year the numbers are down 16 because of a noticeable reduction in affordable housing opportunities. 17 18 Those who successfully complete their transitional housing program typically seek permanent 19 affordable housing in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro community to be near their place of employment 20 and their support networks. Often those who are ready to leave IFC's housing programs delay 21 their departure until suitable affordable housing can be found. 22 23 It is our experience that without more affordable rental housing, IFC program residents will 24 either stay enrolled longer than necessary, move further away from their place of employment 25 and support networks for the sake of affordable housing, or move into substandard housing in 26 closer proximity to employment and support. 27 28 Hence, we believe all agencies in Orange County that offer transitional housing programs (IFC, 29 Horizons, etc.) would be more successful if the supply of affordable housing in our community 30 increases by at least twenty-five net units each year available for transitional housing program 31 graduates for the duration of the Consolidated Plan's planning horizon. 32 33 2. With respect to Emergency Shelter, currently neither Community House nor HomeStart have 34 limits on how many persons can be accommodated on bad weather nights. At HomeStart we 35 rarely have more emergency shelter guests than emergency shelter beds, which are sixteen. 36 37 However, at the IFC @SECU Community House, IFC will be limited to seventeen (17) 38 emergency shelter beds for homeless men. This year, beginning in November, on most bad 39 weather nights, we've had at least 20 men staying overnight on a weather-emergency basis. 40 The maximum-to-date has been 29 men. Hence, we believe the community will need an 41 additional 12-15 emergency shelter beds in southern Orange County on cold weather nights for 42 homeless men in addition to those that will be available at the new Community House. 43 44 Hudson Vaughn works with the Jackson Center, and he supports the previous 45 comments. He feels it is important that the consolidated plan supports critical home repairs for 46 long term elderly residents in Orange County. He gave examples of homes he has seen that 47 have significant repair needs. He said these critical repairs need a quick response, and efforts 48 have been made to connect these residents with agencies such as Habitat for Humanity and 49 the IFC to address their needs in a multifaceted way. He said Orange County's Housing