Orange County NC Website
7 <br /> ARPA Grant Compliance Position—Criminal Justice Resources Department: $38,751 <br /> This project provides funding for a 0.5 FTE ARPA Grant Compliance Position through FY 22. The <br /> position will provide additional administrative support for the Criminal Justice Resource Department as <br /> it administers the Street Outreach, Harm Reduction, and Deflection (SOHRAD) program funded by ARPA. <br /> Street Outreach, Harm Reduction,and Deflection (SOHRAD)—Criminal Justice Resources Department <br /> & Housing and Community Development: $160,000 <br /> This project provides funding to continue the work of the Street Outreach, Harm Reduction, and <br /> Deflection (SOHRAD)team, which connects with people living unsheltered to work on housing issues <br /> and other needs such as connections to healthcare and mental healthcare. Since the team started in <br /> October 2020,they have served over 230 people living outside or in a place not meant for human <br /> habitation. The service and housing needs of people living unsheltered have been exacerbated greatly <br /> by the COVID-19 pandemic.This group represents some of the most medically fragile people in our <br /> community- by and large the population is older and aging and have medical complications that put <br /> them at high risk for contracting and dying from COVID-19.The SORHAD team rode along with the <br /> mobile vaccination unit to connect people living unsheltered with the COVID-19 vaccine—26 people <br /> received the COVID-19 vaccine with SOHRAD's help.The team has assisted 60 people to transition from <br /> homelessness to housing, and 180 people to funded services like supplies, food, and transportation.The <br /> team's Clinical Coordinator provided mental health therapy and other clinical services to 98 people. And <br /> the team assisted with over 60 deflections from law enforcement—without this work those 60 people <br /> would likely have ended up with involvement in the criminal justice system costing taxpayer dollars. <br /> Tourism and Hospitality Recovery—Economic Development: $150,000 <br /> This project provides funding to the Orange County Visitors Bureau to aid in the recovery of <br /> tourism and hospitality in Orange County.The county's central business district of Chapel Hill and <br /> around the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill (where two-thirds of the tourism, and hospitality <br /> industry resides) lost 60%of its tourism revenues during the pandemic because the leading tourism <br /> generator is the University of North Carolina at Chapel Hill. Recovery will need to include a safe welcome <br /> center that serves as an attraction for guests to visit the central business district, learn about Chapel <br /> Hill's history and use this experience as a reason for exploring near-by businesses related to the <br /> hospitality industry. <br /> To answer this call,Visitors Bureau leaders contacted former resident and Grammy winning <br /> singer and song writer,James Taylor,whose song "Carolina in My Mind," was written about Chapel Hill. <br /> Leaders knew that a new visitor market would be attracted by a personalized welcome from James <br /> Taylor, a live rendition of his music, tourism materials related to his favorite things in Chapel Hill, and <br /> photo opportunities with his album covers, signed by James, welcoming visitors to Chapel Hill. For <br /> recovery to happen in Orange County,tourism leaders must create assets apart from the University of <br /> North Carolina.This locale will be in the heart of the Central Business District and Visitors Center leaders <br /> are working to add displays and brochures on surrounding local businesses to help this industry <br /> recovery. <br />