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10 <br /> County staff is currently solidifying the details of this program. However, on June 1, 2020 when <br /> the Courts open, staff would like to have the resources in place to get started assisting people. <br /> Currently, there are about 90 evictions pending. OCHCD has already reached out to the tenants <br /> and landlords to try and avoid those evictions. Staff is receiving more calls each day, and with <br /> this program, the County can begin to allay some County residents' fears of eviction. <br /> FINANCIAL IMPACT: Budget Amendment#9-A provides for the appropriation of$187,950 in <br /> available Social Justice Reserve funds in the following manner: <br /> • Forty-Two Thousand Nine Hundred Fifty dollars ($42,950)for Temporary Employment <br /> for a full time staff attorney to provide legal and case management services; <br /> • One Hundred Thirty Thousand dollars ($130,000)for the Risk Mitigation and Housing <br /> Displacement Fund, and <br /> • Fifteen Thousand dollars ($15,000)for Legal Aid of North Carolina to increase <br /> assistance during surge of cases. <br /> With this appropriation, there would be $12,050 funds remaining in the Social Justice Reserve <br /> for FY 2019-20 <br /> Annette Moore made the following PowerPoint presentation: <br /> Eviction Diversion Program <br /> Human Rights and Resources Department-Annette Moore <br /> Criminal Justice Resource Department- Caitlin Fenhagen <br /> Housing and Community Development Department-Emila Sutton <br /> Background <br /> • Due to COVID-19, calls to the Housing Helpline are up from 250 in April to more than <br /> 650 in May <br /> • Requests for OCHCD Emergency Housing Assistance (EHA) have quadrupled <br /> • Housing Helpline receives 3-5 calls per week from residents seeking legal counsel for a <br /> housing issue <br /> • Clerk of Court's Office has seen dramatic increase in eviction filings and is adding <br /> additional court hearing dates to address this increase <br /> • Studies show that eviction harms health and child outcomes, and that preventing <br /> eviction saves costs to health systems and homeless shelters, reduces burden on <br /> courts, and improves job and educational outcomes <br /> • Research shows that housing assistance (such as EHA) reduces hardship and <br /> increases economic opportunity for low-income families <br /> • EHA + the Eviction Diversion Program will <br /> o Save costs <br /> o Stabilize the housing market <br /> o Help Orange County residents avoid the negative impacts of eviction <br /> Greatest Needs <br /> • Group of local stakeholders convened: Human Rights and Relations, Housing and <br /> Community Development, and Criminal Justice Resources Departments; Clerk of Court; <br /> Chief Magistrate; Carolina Student Legal Services; NC Pro Bono Resource Center; <br /> Orange Chatham Legal Aid; Commissioner Mark Marcoplos; Jamie Paulen <br /> • Determined the two greatest needs are: <br />