Orange County NC Website
<br />Program information P a g e 9 o f 23 <br />As a housing nonprofit working within the systemically racist framework of American housing policy and in <br />service to disinvested communities, we recognize the need to do more to actively center racial equity in our <br />work. As a starting point, Habitat has prioritized providing funding and paid time off for staff to participate in <br />intensive racial equity training through the Racial Equity Institute (REI). In 2021, Habitat implemented a policy <br />that requires racial equity training for all new staff as a component of onboarding, with the goal of 100% staff <br />participation. We have also hired a racial equity consultant through BIWA|Emergent Equity who is working <br />with a group of staff and board members to assess organizational culture and to identify underlying <br />characteristics of white supremacy that must be addressed for Habitat to serve our community in a way that <br />ensures we do not perpetuate harm. <br /> <br />In 2021, Habitat amended our policy to better serve the Latinx population by expanding our definition of <br />qualifying households to include those with TPS or DACA status, in addition to U.S. citizens and legal <br />permanent residents. In our most recent application period, Habitat intentionally focused outreach efforts on <br />the Latinx community and families at risk of displacement from local manufactured home parks in addition to <br />partnering with African American churches and the NAACP branches both in Chapel Hill/Carrboro and <br />Northern Orange County. Habitat is committed to serving people of color in our community through our <br />repair and homeownership programs and to working to identify and address barriers to homeownership. <br /> <br />c. Please fill in the below questions and provide any additional context on the racial <br />composition of the organization and board leadership: <br /> <br />i. % of staff that are Black, Indigenous, or People of Color (BIPOC): 25% <br />ii. % of board that are BIPOC: 31% <br />iii. % of staff that have attended racial equity training: 52% <br /> <br />d. Please describe any additional activities your organization is doing to address racial equity. <br /> <br />Habitat recently produced a report about the organization’s role in addressing the racial wealth gap through <br />homeownership in Orange County. We are planning a public launch event in 2022 to discuss the results, with <br />the goal of starting a community conversation about the connections between homeownership, wealth <br />inequality, and racial equity. Staff members are also participating in a working group convened by Habitat for <br />Humanity International that is focused on increasing Black homeownership rates both locally and nationally. <br /> <br />PROGRAM INFORMATION <br />*Please submit for each program if applying for funding for more than one program. <br /> <br />6. Program Name: Home Preservation <br /> <br /> Program Primary Contact and Title: Alice Jacoby, Vice President of Policy & Advocacy <br /> <br /> Telephone Number: (919) 932-7077 ext. 216 E-Mail: ajacoby@orangehabitat.org <br /> <br />7. Please briefly describe the proposed program, including an explanation of how it aligns with the Town of <br />Chapel Hill and Carrboro’s Results Framework, and Orange County BOCC Goals and Priorities, and the target <br />population to benefit from the program. (250 words or less) <br />Habitat’s Home Preservation Program provides affordable repairs to low- to moderate-income homeowners <br />in Orange County. The program’s target population is elderly and/or disabled homeowners who struggle to <br />afford regular or critical home maintenance. The County recognizes in their goals the need for strong social <br />DocuSign Envelope ID: 5A12C25C-1778-4F7D-8ED2-37B021D57344