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7 <br />Orange County has identified the need for increased economic development opportunities for <br />low and moderate-income citizens and revitalization of businesses serving low-income <br />neighborhoods in Chapel Hill. <br />Anti-Poverty Strategy <br />In a recent update to the County's Work First Plan, a subcommittee of the Welfare Reform Task <br />Force, Strengthening Independence, was charged with identifying strategies and resources for <br />Work First families that will enable them to increase their income and to become self-sufficient. <br />As a part of their work, this.committee identified the lack of affordable housing for those in the <br />lowest income ranges as a major impediment to building self-sufficiency. They identified the <br />following strategies to address this situation. <br />1. Build, renovate, or designate existing affordable housing and rental units for <br />which preference is given to families who are engaged in a self-sufficiency <br />program that provides job skills, employment counseling, entrepreneurship <br />training, money management, and other social supports. <br />2. Increase availability and access to affordable rental housing and to special <br />incentives and home mortgage loans in the primary market at rates attractive to <br />buyers in this income group. <br />3. Advocate among policy makers, housing organizations, and funding sources to <br />limit undue analysis of the need and to place emphasis on action. <br />Coordination of the Strategic Plan <br />Through the Orange Community Housing Corporation, Habitat for Humanity, EmPOWERment, <br />Inc., and other non-profit organizations, Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and <br />Hillsborough work in collaboration to implement the plan, as follows: <br />1. The Chapel Hill Planning Department administers the CDBG program. <br />2. The Orange County Housing and Community Development Department <br />administers Section 8 program and serves as the lead agency for the Orange <br />County HOME Consortium, which includes Orange County, Carrboro, Chapel <br />Hill, and Hillsborough, and administers the County-wide Housing Rehabilitation <br />Program. <br />3. The Chapel Hill Department of Housing operates public housing in Chapel Hill <br />and Carrboro. <br />4. The Town of Carrboro administers the Carrboro CDBG Small Cities program. <br />5. The Hillsborough Planning Department is responsible for planning and policy <br />development for the town, including the recently adopted 2010 plan. <br />Orange Community Housing Corporation, Habitat for Humanity, EmPOWERment, Inc., and <br />other non-profit organizations carry out direct housing activities, i.e. new construction, <br />rehabilitation, etc..