Orange County NC Website
9 <br /> The 2020 application was developed based on the Request for Proposals (RFP) for the 2017 <br /> round of bond funding and the application evaluation criteria approved by the Board of <br /> Commissioners in April 2019. <br /> Eligible projects will be new construction for homeownership and/or rental development <br /> affordable to low-income households. Projects may be mixed-use and/or mixed-income. No <br /> more than 20% of residential units may be set aside for people with disabilities, in compliance <br /> with best practices outlined in the State of North Carolina's Olmstead settlement agreement. <br /> Land banking is not an eligible use. <br /> Eligible applicants for funding will be: <br /> • nonprofit organizations involved in affordable housing and community development <br /> (including faith-based organizations) <br /> • for-profit developers, and <br /> • joint ventures between eligible nonprofit and for-profit entities <br /> The application evaluation criteria consider the following factors for each proposed project: <br /> (1) income and vulnerable population targeting <br /> (2) targeting of households currently living and/or working in Orange County <br /> (3) leveraging of other funding sources <br /> (4) building and site design features including environmental sustainability and accessibility <br /> features <br /> (5) community design features including neighborhood compatibility and location relative to <br /> transportation, employment opportunities, and services <br /> (6) community sponsorship, engagement, and support <br /> (7) project feasibility, and <br /> (8) developer experience <br /> Differences between this application and the 2017 RFP are mostly formatting changes in order <br /> to condense the content of application. Significant recommended changes include: <br /> • This is a funding application rather than an RFP —applications will go to the Department <br /> of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) instead of through Procurement. <br /> Because they will not go through Procurement, certain requirements of Contractors, <br /> such as E-Verify requirements and Iran Divestment Act certification requirements, are <br /> not included. <br /> • Application review and preliminary scoring will be conducted by DHCD staff, then <br /> funding recommendations will be made to the BOCC, rather than the review process <br /> going from staff to a County team, then to the Affordable Housing Advisory Board, and <br /> then to the BOCC. Because advisory boards may not be able to meet to review <br /> applications due to the COVID-19 pandemic (and the inability of advisory boards to hold <br /> virtual meetings), this process will prevent delays in application review and funding <br /> awards. <br /> If and when the 2020 application is approved by the BOCC, the proposed timeline for <br /> application review and funding award is as follows: <br /> June 8, 2020 Application Released <br /> June 15, 2020 Application Workshop <br /> July 31, 2020 Application Submission Deadline <br /> August 2020 Staff Review Applications <br /> September 1, 2020 BOCC Considers Applications and Funding Recommendations <br />