Agenda 05-03-22; 6-a - Longtime Homeowner Assistance (LHA) Program Evaluation

Browse Search

1 ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: May 3, 2022 Action Agenda Item No. 6-a SUBJECT: Longtime Homeowner Assistance (LHA) Program Evaluation DEPARTMENT: Housing and Community Development ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Attachment 1: 2021 LHA Program Data Corey Root, Director, Housing and Attachment 2: Tax Assistance Application Community Development, 919-245- Package LHA Insert 2492 Nancy Freeman, Tax Administrator, Orange County Tax Office, 919-245- 2735 Gary Donaldson, Chief Financial Officer, Orange County Finance, 919-245- 2453 PURPOSE: To receive information about the results of the 2021 Longtime Homeowner Assistance (LHA) program and consider options for program changes for a potential continuation of the LHA program in 2022. BACKGROUND: On October 5, 2021, the Orange County Board of Commissioners authorized the program design for the Longtime Homeowner Assistance Program (LHA) to assist households affected by the 2021 property tax revaluation. LHA launched on October 8, 2021 to serve households earning no more than 80% of the area median income who had lived in their homes for at least 10 years and experienced an increase in Orange County property taxes in 2021. Between October 8 and December 15, the Housing & Community Development Department received 125 applications. Housing staff worked alongside colleagues in the Tax Office and Finance & Administrative Services Department to award $16,364 across 91 households in property tax assistance (Attachment 1). There were some very small award amounts — as low as $1.51 — and the largest award was $1,334.63. A third of the awards were under $50 and 52% of awards were under $100. In addition to the communication plan about the program presented in October, in response to requests from non-profit partners, Housing staff also organized and staffed three in-person events to help people complete LHA applications — at Piney Grove Baptist Church and Dorothy M. Johnson Community Center in Hillsborough, and Lattisville Grove Missionary Baptist Church in Cedar Grove (a planned event at the Roger Eubanks Neighborhood Association Community Center was canceled due to facility issues). Applications were relatively slow in the beginning weeks of the program, and picked up greatly toward the end of the application period. 72.8% of all received applications were approved. The most common reason for application denial was the