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6 <br /> 1 Revision of the guidelines and launch of the Risk Mitigation and Housing Displacement <br /> 2 Fund. The program was originally funded and launched in 2017 in an effort to maintain <br /> 3 landlords in various voucher and other subsidized programs, assist with housing <br /> 4 stabilization and mitigate displacement of low and very low income residents, as well as <br /> 5 prevent homelessness, revisions to the program guidelines were implemented. <br /> 6 <br /> 7 Attachment 1 b-3. <br /> 8 The Fund provides assistance in three (3) activity areas: <br /> 9 o Risk Mitigation (for landlords only) <br /> 10 o Housing Stabilization (provision of assistance for security deposits, <br /> 11 utility connections and rental payments) <br /> 12 o Displacement Mitigation Due to an Urgent Community Need <br /> 13 <br /> 14 Held in both 2017 and 2018, successful engagement meetings with landlords <br /> 15 participating in the Housing Choice Voucher Program. Thirty (30) landlords participated <br /> 16 in 2017 and fifty (50) participated in 2018. <br /> 17 <br /> 18 For a complete listing of Orange County's housing and community development programs and <br /> 19 services, see Attachment 1 b-4. <br /> 20 <br /> 21 c) Other Current Collaboration Activities <br /> 22 Besides monthly joint meetings between the applicable senior staff, other collaborative activities <br /> 23 during the past year include the following: <br /> 24 <br /> 25 Ongoing municipal and county assistance for voucher holders, i.e. security deposits and <br /> 26 utility connections. While each of the municipalities provides the assistance either <br /> 27 through DSS, the Community Empowerment Fund or directly to applicable vendors, the <br /> 28 rental assistance is jurisdiction-specific. Orange County revised its program to include <br /> 29 referrals from the Partnership to End Homelessness's coordinated entry program and <br /> 30 most recently the Orange County Criminal Justice Resource Department. These <br /> 31 additions would help ensure that "gaps" in services are being mitigated. <br /> 32 The role of the former HOME Review Committee was expanded in 2017, approved by <br /> 33 the various Orange County jurisdictions and the Committee is now known as the Orange <br /> 34 County Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative. See Attachment 1 c. <br /> 35 The Collaborative meets quarterly and is comprised of elected officials and applicable <br /> 36 senior staff from each of the jurisdictions. It still reviews and makes recommendations <br /> 37 regarding the HOME Program and has also begun to take a more strategic approach to <br /> 38 reviewing broader affordable housing issues in the County. A listing of the issues will be <br /> 39 discussed in the Section <br /> 40 The flooding of Camelot Village — The County and municipalities shared information and <br /> 41 kept each other informed as to the provision of assistance for residents who were <br /> 42 displaced due to flooding from Hurricane Florence. The various municipalities <br /> 43 coordinated with Orange County EMS, Department of Social Services, Housing and <br /> 44 Community Development and others, as applicable. <br /> 45 <br /> 46 Staff will provide any other information at the meeting, and the governing boards can discuss <br /> 47 issues and provide feedback to staff related to this item as necessary. <br /> 48 <br /> 49 Attachment I— Orange County Local Government Affordable Housing <br /> 50 Collaborative Resolution <br />