Orange County NC Website
4 <br /> filed in the 2010-2018 period were filed due to discrimination based on disability. <br /> Given that the county's population with a disability is approximately 12,500, and <br /> that over a quarter of the elderly are also disabled, this is a significant barrier to <br /> fair housing. <br /> • There exists a lack of subsidized rental properties outside the Towns of <br /> Chapel Hill and Carrboro. The only public housing in the county is located in <br /> Chapel Hill, and the vast majority of other subsidized properties are located in <br /> either Chapel Hill or Carrboro. To that end, six subsidized developments exist in <br /> Hillsborough, one exists in the Orange County portion of Mebane, and only one <br /> subsidized property exists in unincorporated Orange County. <br /> • Zoning throughout the county largely restricts the development of denser, <br /> more affordable housing. Only a handful of areas in the county are zoned for <br /> moderately dense residential development (over four lots or units per acre), and <br /> resident opposition can complicate or inhibit the development of denser housing <br /> in those areas. Given the high cost of land in service-rich neighborhoods of <br /> Chapel Hill and Carrboro, low-density zoning can prevent the construction of <br /> affordable housing. <br /> Based on the impediments above, the AI makes the following recommendations. <br /> • Seek more funds for subsidized housing. Low- and moderate-income households <br /> are disproportionately rent-burdened, and recently, rents have increased faster <br /> than wages. <br /> • Encourage development of some subsidized housing outside of Chapel Hill and <br /> Carrboro. <br /> • Educate landlords, property managers, and other housing providers about fair <br /> housing law and reasonable accommodation, especially as they pertain to persons <br /> with disabilities. <br /> • Offer educational courses on mortgage lending and building credit scores that are <br /> geared toward African American and Hispanic borrowers. <br /> • Encourage cooperation and coordination between the affordable housing advisory <br /> boards in the county. <br /> • Explore funding options for a best-practices Rapid Rehousing program to serve <br /> homeless individuals and families in Orange County. <br /> • Identify ways to protect residents of mobile home parks who may be under threat <br /> of displacement. <br /> • Consider areas to strategically up-zone to promote the development of affordable <br /> housing. <br /> 2 <br />