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ORANGE COUNTY <br />BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br />ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br />Meeting Date: .June 7, 2005 <br />Action Agee <br />Item No. <br />SUBJECT: Housing Bond Program Award to EmPOWERment, Inc. for Land Banking <br />Project <br />DEPARTMENT: Housing/Community Dev <br />PUBLIC HEARING: (Y/N) No <br />ATTACHMENT(S): <br />Committee Recommendation <br />Status Report - EmPOWERment, Inc, <br />INFORMATION CONTACT: <br />Tara L, Fikes, ext 2490 <br />TELEPHONE NUMBERS: <br />Hillsborough 732-8181 <br />Chapel Hill 968-4501 <br />Durham 688-7331 <br />Mebane 336-227-2031 <br />PURPOSE: To consider awarding housing bond funds in the amount of $129,930 to <br />EmPOWERment, Incorporated to purchase land in the Pine Knolls community in Chapel Hill <br />and authorize the Manager in consultation with the County Attorney to enter into a Development <br />Agreement detailing the conditions of award. <br />BACKGROUND: In .June 2004, the Bcard of County Commissioners (BOCC) approved a <br />revision to the Affordable Housing Bond Policy that incorporated a Land Banking Program that <br />provides the opportunity for local organizations to utilize bond money to purchase land that <br />becomes available in the community prior to the establishment of a firm development plan. A <br />total of $260,000 in FY 2001 Housing Bond funds was allocated far this program, <br />The first application for Land Banking funds was received on March 23, 2005 from <br />EmPOWERment, Incorporated requesting $135,000 to purchase two properties in the Pine <br />Knolls community of Chapel Hill. The two properties are located at 122 and 124 .Johnson <br />Street. EmPOWERment plans to construct a total of four new homes on these lots to include <br />three new condominium units and one single family dwelling by June 30, 2008. <br />As required by the Orange County Hotasing Bond Policy, the Project Review and Selection <br />(PRS) Committee held apre-application conference with staff from EmPOWERment to discuss <br />the proposed application, reviewed the submitted application, and then met with the <br />organization to discuss the committee's funding recommendation. Members of the Project <br />Review and Selection Committee include: County Staff Members: Gwen Harvey, Ken <br />Chavious, Paul Thames, Craig Benedict, and Tara Fikes; Commissioners Valerie Foushee and <br />Barry Jacobs; and Affordable Housing Advisory Board Members Brian Crawford, Jabrina <br />Robinson, and Allan Rosen, The Committee alsc includes representatives form the Towns of <br />Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough in the person of James Harris, Loryn Barnes, and <br />Margaret Hauth respectively, <br />