Orange County NC Website
services needed to meet the requirements of the residents.. In general, those who provide spe- <br />cial housing needs offer an array of services. Efforts are made to ensure maximum independ- <br />ence in the least restrictive setting, but onsite support of those with special needs is often re- <br />quired. <br />Service providers for people with special needs face substantial challenges. In 2000, there were <br />7,164 elderly households in Orange County, of which, 61.2 percent were low-income. Develop- <br />mentally disabled and mentally ill in the County both need case management, support services, <br />and outpatient treatment services for monitoring and treatment. Alcohol and substance abusers <br />have access to outpatient services in Orange County, but are required to go out of the County <br />for residential treatment.. <br />Orange County had 16 reported cases of HIV disease and eight cases of AIDS in 2004. This <br />represents a marked increase in the number of AIDS and HIV cases. While prevention, medical <br />and support services are available to people with HIV/AIDS, there is also a greater need for <br />permanent supportive housing. <br />Lead-Based Paint Hazards <br />Lead poisoning is one of the worst environmental threats to children in the United States. While <br />anyone exposed to high concentrations of lead can become poisoned, the effects are most pro- <br />nounced among young children. <br />There are as many as 12,058 occupied housing units in Orange County that contain lead-based <br />paint, Of these units with lead-based paint, 6,001 are owner-occupied and 6,057 are occupied <br />by renters. Up to 5,276 houses may have deteriorated lead-based paint. According to the 2000 <br />Census, there are 16,540 households with annual incomes below $30,000.. Applying the as- <br />sumption that as much as 35% of these low-income households contain lead-based paint haz- <br />ards results in an estimated 5,789 low-income households with lead-based paint hazards in Or- <br />ange County. <br />Barriers to Affordable Housing <br />As with other types of development, Orange Cou nty's supply of affordable housing is dictated by <br />a variety of factors, the most significant being project profitability, availability of land and infra- <br />structure, and government regulation.. To address the Educational Impact Fee, the Orange <br />County Board of Commissioners adopted an impact fee reimbursement policy, which provides <br />funds to nonprofit housing developers constructing rental and owner-occupied housing to en- <br />able them to pay the fee without passing the cost to the prospective renters or homebuyers. <br />With this reimbursement, the Board works to alleviate barriers to affordable housing. <br />Impediments to Fair Housing <br />Based on the County's analysis of impediments affecting the furtherance of fair housing, appro- <br />priate strategies have been designed and implemented to eliminate or reduce the impact of <br />those barriers. The following recommendations included in the "Fair Housing Plan" promote fair <br />housing within Orange County: <br />[~l <br />