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9 <br /> • Experiencing homelessness <br /> • At risk of homelessness <br /> • Fleeing domestic violence, dating violence, sexual assault, stalking, or human trafficking <br /> • Other populations with high risk of housing instability (including highly cost-burdened <br /> low-income households, households who have moved two or more times in the last 60 <br /> days, and households living in a hotel) <br /> Led by the Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative (a group made up of one <br /> elected official from each jurisdiction that comprises the Consortium), the Orange County <br /> HOME Consortium must develop an Allocation Plan to identify priority housing and service <br /> needs in the community that may be supported with HOME-ARP funds and to describe the <br /> process that will be used to distribute HOME-ARP funds. The Consortium's $1.3 million in <br /> HOME-ARP may not be used for eligible housing projects or activities until an Allocation Plan is <br /> approved by HUD. It is not expected that any funds will be committed or disbursed in the near <br /> future, since the Consortium is just now starting the planning process. The Allocation Plan will <br /> determine how the HOME-ARP funds will be awarded to projects or activities and lay out, <br /> broadly, which types of eligible uses the Consortium plans to prioritize. <br /> Once the Allocation Plan is created, staff will follow the process outlined in the Plan. For <br /> example, if (based on the community engagement and needs assessment process) the <br /> Collaborative decides to distribute HOME-ARP funds through a competitive application process <br /> and to prioritize development of affordable housing, staff would then issue a funding application <br /> for affordable housing development projects. <br /> As part of the development of the Plan, Orange County must consult with stakeholders that <br /> work with the "Qualifying Populations" listed above. County and town staff are actively engaging <br /> stakeholders by presenting at meetings, soliciting feedback through a survey, and incorporating <br /> feedback from the Towns' community engagement processes around ARPA funding. <br /> As the lead entity of the Consortium, the county must hold a public hearing to obtain residents' <br /> comments and feedback on how the HOME-ARP funds should be awarded. Members of the <br /> public may submit comments at the public hearing and during the public comment period <br /> (November 16 — December 1, 2021) to Erika Brandt, Community Development Manager, by <br /> email (ebrandt(a-)_orangecountync.gov), by mail (PO Box 8181, Hillsborough, NC 27278) or by <br /> telephone (919-245-4331). <br /> The county will hold a second public hearing in the next 3-6 months. Between the first and <br /> second public hearings, staff will develop a draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan based on the <br /> feedback received during the first public hearing and public comment period, from the other <br /> community engagement and stakeholder consultation efforts (including a survey and <br /> presentations at community meetings), and from the ARPA public participation processes being <br /> conducted by the Towns of Carrboro and Chapel Hill. <br /> After the second public hearing on the draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan, staff will incorporate <br /> public feedback into the Plan and present a final version for approval by the Collaborative. <br /> Once the Collaborative approves, the four governing boards of the jurisdictions that comprise <br /> the HOME Consortium (the towns and the county) must approve the Plan and authorize Orange <br /> County, as lead entity, to submit the Plan to HUD. HUD is responsible for final approval of the <br /> Plan, at which point, the Consortium may begin to use its HOME-ARP funds. To use the funds, <br />