Agenda - 09-01-20; 8-a - Minutes

Browse Search

11 1 from the private sector as well as from community residents could also help bolster 2 existing resources and services provided through this program. 3 4 County staff is currently solidifying the details of this program. However, on June 1, 2020 when 5 the Courts open, staff would like to have the resources in place to get started assisting people. 6 Currently, there are about 90 evictions pending. OCHCD has already reached out to the tenants 7 and landlords to try and avoid those evictions. Staff is receiving more calls each day, and with 8 this program, the County can begin to allay some County residents' fears of eviction. 9 10 FINANCIAL IMPACT: Budget Amendment#9-A provides for the appropriation of$187,950 in 11 available Social Justice Reserve funds in the following manner: 12 • Forty-Two Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty dollars ($42,950) for Temporary Employment 13 for a full time staff attorney to provide legal and case management services; 14 • One Hundred Thirty Thousand dollars ($130,000) for the Risk Mitigation and Housing 15 Displacement Fund, and 16 • Fifteen Thousand dollars ($15,000) for Legal Aid of North Carolina to increase 17 assistance during surge of cases. 18 19 With this appropriation, there would be $12,050 funds remaining in the Social Justice Reserve 20 for FY 2019-20 21 22 Annette Moore made the following PowerPoint presentation: 23 24 Eviction Diversion Program 25 Human Rights and Resources Department-Annette Moore 26 Criminal Justice Resource Department- Caitlin Fenhagen 27 Housing and Community Development Department-Emila Sutton 28 29 Background 30 • Due to COVID-19, calls to the Housing Helpline are up from 250 in April to more than 31 650 in May 32 • Requests for OCHCD Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA) have quadrupled 33 • Housing Helpline receives 3-5 calls per week from residents seeking legal counsel for a 34 housing issue 35 • Clerk of Court's Office has seen dramatic increase in eviction filings and is adding 36 additional court hearing dates to address this increase 37 • Studies show that eviction harms health and child outcomes, and that preventing 38 eviction saves costs to health systems and homeless shelters, reduces burden on 39 courts, and improves job and educational outcomes 40 • Research shows that housing assistance (such as EHA) reduces hardship and 41 increases economic opportunity for low-income families 42 • EHA + the Eviction Diversion Program will 43 o Save costs 44 o Stabilize the housing market 45 o Help Orange County residents avoid the negative impacts of eviction 46 47 Greatest Needs 48 Group of local stakeholders convened: Human Rights and Relations, Housing and 49 Community Development, and Criminal Justice Resources Departments; Clerk of Court;