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22 <br /> <br />forms of outreach, etc. In addition, the OCHA, from time-to-time, may make recommendations <br />to the BOCC for other needed changes and/or revisions”. <br /> <br />Page 2 – Responses to Commissioner Greene’s Questions <br />Question 3: <br />Under the section on Screening & Assessment, what are the assumptions about support <br />services that these tenants will get? <br />For the tenant-based and project-based categories, there are no assumptions about the <br />provision of supportive services that a tenant may receive. Like the federally-funded Housing <br />Choice Voucher Program, the provision of supportive services is not mandated. This only takes <br />place with the Permanent Supportive Housing Voucher Program. That is why the statement is <br />included in the guidelines that “the individual must not require a level of care that is not offered <br />by the OC Local Rent Supplement Program”. <br />Only the Sponsored-base Category allows for an option to award vouchers to entities seeking <br />vouchers and also providing supportive services. Note that even in this case, the OC-LRSP still <br />would not be providing funding for supportive services. <br /> <br />Question 4: <br />Where are the definitions for homelessness and victim of domestic violence? Is it <br />included in the document? <br />The definitions were not included in the document but staff used the definitions from the current <br />HCV Administrative Plan as it relates to homelessness and victims of domestic violence. These <br />definitions follow HUD policy regarding homelessness and domestic violence. <br />See attached for excerpts from the Orange County Housing Authority’s Administrative Plan and <br />Federal Register’s Wednesday, November 16, 2016 edition. <br /> <br />Question 5: <br />PHA was used a few times in the document. Shouldn’t that have been OCHA? <br />Yes and no. Staff and HUD utilize “PHA” interchangeably when talking about housing <br />authorities. Staff is certainly open to making the change, deleting PHA and inserting OCHA <br />where appropriate. <br /> <br />Question 6: <br />Please explain the use of criminal background checks and sex offender checks and why <br />it is based on HCV regulations. Is there any flexibility for local jurisdictions regarding <br />criminal backgrounds, i.e. the Town of Chapel Hill and its Public Housing Program? <br />Like the Town of Chapel Hill’s federally-funded Public Housing, the Housing Choice Voucher <br />(HCV) Program, which is also federally-funded, must follow HUD rules regarding the use of <br />criminal background and sex offender checks as it relates to awarding or denying assistance. <br />So when it is mentioned that the County’s new Local Rent Supplement Program will be following <br />the HCV Program Guidelines as it relates to criminal background and sex offender checks that <br />is the relaxed policies that HUD requires. <br /> <br />Question 6: <br />Because the voucher program and the public housing program are so closely related, <br />Commissioner Greene would like to be sure that there is as much consistency as <br />possible between the two or she would like an explanation for why they can’t or <br />shouldn’t be. In addition, the Commissioner would like for County staff to reconsider the <br />strictness of the proposed policies as it relates to criminal back grounds, etc.