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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: February 21, 2017 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 7-b <br /> SUBJECT: Review and Amend the Orange County Housing Affordability Policy <br /> DEPARTMENT: Housing, Community Development and Human Rights <br /> ATTACHMENT(S) INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> 1) DRAFT Amended Housing Bonnie Hammersley, 919-245-2306 <br /> Affordability Policy (Pages 3-6) John Roberts, 919-245-2318 <br /> 2) Input from First Group of Affordable <br /> Housing Providers (Pages 7-10) <br /> 3) Input from Second Group of <br /> Affordable Housing Providers <br /> (Pages 11-14) <br /> 4) Input from First Group of Affordable <br /> Housing Providers (Pages 15-20) <br /> PURPOSE: To review suggested changes from the Affordable Housing Providers and consider <br /> the recommended amendments to the Orange County Housing Affordability Policy. <br /> BACKGROUND: At the November 15, 2016 BOCC meeting, the Board requested that staff <br /> review the County's housing affordability policy and make a recommendation to amend the <br /> policy based on recent activity and input from the Affordable Housing providers. The County <br /> Attorney drafted an exceptions section in the policy to provide flexibility in the affordability term <br /> and the restrictive covenants as well as the addition of execution of agreement. The draft <br /> exceptions section supports the BOCC action on October 4, 2016 to approve the Downtown <br /> Housing Improvement Corporation, Inc.'s (DHIC) request to reduce Orange County's 99 year <br /> affordability period for the Greenfield Place Project to 40 years as well as the November 15, <br /> 2016 action to approve the Community Home Trust (CHT) request for cancellation of a <br /> declaration of restrictive covenants. <br /> The draft policy was shared with the Affordable Housing providers for their input. Staff reviewed <br /> the providers input and included some of the suggestions in the amended policy. The following <br /> recommendations are included in the amended policy (Attachment 1): <br /> 1. Change the target population numbers to percentages for consistency with the Affordable <br /> Housing ranking criteria. <br /> 2. Added language to reflect the current practices <br /> 3. Edited Land Trust Model to reflect the Community Home Trust; <br /> 4. Added Exceptions Section <br /> 5. Added Execution of Agreement <br />