Agenda Abstract - Assembly of Governments Discussion Items

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6 • Ongoing municipal and county assistance for voucher holders, i.e. security deposits and utility connections. While each of the municipalities provides the assistance either through DSS, the Community Empowerment Fund or directly to applicable vendors, the rental assistance is jurisdiction-specific. Orange County revised its program to include referrals from the Partnership to End Homelessness's Coordinated Entry and most recently Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department. These additions would help ensure that "gaps" in services are being mitigated. • The role of the former HOME Review Committee was expanded in 2017, approved by the various Orange County jurisdictions and the Committee is now known as the Orange County Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative. See Attachment 1c. • The Collaborative meets quarterly and is comprised of elected officials and applicable senior staff from each of the jurisdictions. It still reviews and makes recommendations regarding the HOME Program and has also begun to take a more strategic approach to reviewing broader affordable housing issues in the County. A listing of the issues will be discussed in the Section on Future Collaboration Framework. • The Flooding of Camelot Village — The County and municipalities shared information and kept each other informed as to the provision of assistance for residents who were displaced due to flooding from Hurricane Florence. The various municipalities coordinated with Orange County EMS, Department of Social Services, Housing and Community Development and others, as applicable. Staff will provide any other information at the meeting, and the governing boards can discuss issues and provide feedback to staff related to this item as necessary. Attachment 1 c — Orange County Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative Resolution d) Future Collaboration Framework As mentioned earlier in the document, the Orange County Affordable Housing Local Government Collaborative is the body undertaking a more strategic approach in regard to intergovernmental partnerships as it relates to the alleviation of affordable housing issues. The Collaborative seeks to identify common areas of interest where the jurisdictions can leverage their knowledge, skills, lessons learned and outcomes. Along with the other mandates of the authorizing Resolution, the Collaborative's Work Plan, beginning in 2019-2020 and ongoing is two-fold: • Develop a better understanding of the various affordable housing plans and strategies across the jurisdictions and the progress towards these goals to date. Where do the plans intersect or have common goals and how they do or do not support each other? (Excerpted from an instructional email sent by Alderman Bethany Chaney on behalf of the Collaborative.)