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Housing Needs Assessment <br />Renter Households <br />One-half of all renter households experience a housing problem, which represents a 0.8% <br />reduction since 1990. The percentage of extremely low-income renters who experience housing <br />problems has increased overall since 1990. However, among extremely low- income, very Iow- <br />income and low-income renters, there has been an overall reduction in the number of housing <br />problems. <br />Owner Households <br />Over 20% of all owner households experience a housing problem, which represents a 0.3% <br />increase since 1990. The percentage of extremely low-income owners who experience a cost <br />burden over 50% increased since 1990 to 49.3%. During this same period, however, extremely <br />low income owners experienced a slight decrease in any housing problems and in cost burdens <br />of more than 30%. Among very low-income and low-income owners, there has been an overall <br />increase in the number of housing problems. <br />Disproportionate Needs <br />Among renters, Hispanic households experience a disproporticnately higher percentage of <br />housing problems' in Orange County. Among homeowners, African Americans, Hispanics and <br />Asian Americans experience a disproportionately higher percentage of housing problems. When <br />looking at all households (renters and owners), Hispanic and Asian American households <br />experience a disproportionately higher percentage of housing problems. Very low-income <br />households (those earning less than half of the area's median income) and extremely low- <br />income households (those earning less than 30% of the area median income) have the greatest <br />number of housing problems, whether renters or homeowners. <br />Supportive Housing for Non-Homeless Persons with Special Needs <br />In examining supportive housing for persons with special needs, Orange County has considered <br />the needs of the elderly, persons with disabilities (including mental, physical and <br />developmental), alcohol and substance abusers and persons with HIV/AIDS. <br />People with supportive housing needs have special housing and care needs, largely because <br />they are out of the workforce and/ar have substantial medical and care requirements.. The types <br />of housing for the elderly (and all those with supportive housing needs) vary depending on the <br />services needed to meet the requirements of the residents. In general, those who provide <br />special housing needs offer an array of services. Efforts are made to ensure maximum <br />independence in the least restrictive setting, but onsite support of those with special needs is <br />often required.. <br />' Households with housing problems are those households occupying units without a complete kitchen or <br />bathroom, that contain more than one person per room and/or that pay more than 30% of their income to <br />cover housing expenses. <br />[6] <br />