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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: September 14, 2021 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 6-a <br /> SUBJECT: Longtime Homeowner Assistance (LHA) Program <br /> DEPARTMENT: Housing and Community <br /> Development <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Attachment 1 - LHA Application Draft Corey Root, Director, Housing and <br /> Attachment 2 - LHA Proposed Process Community Development, 919-245- <br /> Description 2492 <br /> Attachment 3 - LHA Draft Communication Nancy Freeman, Tax Administrator, <br /> Plan Orange County Tax Office, 919-245- <br /> 2735 <br /> Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer, <br /> Orange County Finance and <br /> Administrative Services, 919-245-2453 <br /> PURPOSE: To approve the implementation of the proposed program design for the Longtime <br /> Homeowner Assistance Program. <br /> BACKGROUND: At its June 15, 2021 Business meeting, the Board of Commissioners allocated <br /> $250,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for a new program to assist households <br /> affected by revaluation of property tax bills. The program will serve Orange County homeowners <br /> earning below 80% of the area median income who have lived in their home for at least 10 years <br /> and experienced an increase in their property taxes during the 2021 tax revaluation. <br /> Staff from the Orange County Housing and Community Development Department (OCHCD), Tax <br /> Department, and Finance and Administrative Services Department met over the summer to <br /> coordinate, design and begin implementing the proposed program. Staff created a draft program <br /> application (Attachment 1), a proposed plan for reviewing and approving applications and outlining <br /> each department's role in process (Attachment 2), and a proposed communications and outreach <br /> strategy to share information about the program with County residents (Attachment 3). <br /> Housing and Community Development Department staff will be primarily responsible for <br /> administering the LHA program — collecting applications and supporting documentation from <br /> applicants, and verifying program eligibility for each applicant. The Orange County Housing <br /> Helpline will play a key role in assisting County residents with completing applications and <br /> gathering documentation. The Tax Department will provide some of the eligibility verification <br /> details to Housing and Community Development Department staff during application review. Once <br /> an application is approved for assistance, Housing and Community Development Department <br /> staff will coordinate with the Finance and Administrative Services Department and Tax <br />