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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> ORANGE COUNTY MOUSING DEPARTMENT <br /> NORTH OLI A <br /> TO: Orange County Board of County Commissioners <br /> FROM: Corey Root, Housing Director <br /> RE: Longtime Homeowner Assistance Program Prioritization <br /> DATE: November 15, 2022 <br /> BACKGROUND: <br /> In October 2021, the Orange County Board of Commissioners authorized County staff to open <br /> the Longtime Homeowner Assistance Program (LHA) to assist households with property tax <br /> payments. LHA launched on October 8, 2021 to serve households earning no more than 80% of <br /> the area median income who had lived in their homes for at least 10 years and experienced an <br /> increase in Orange County property taxes in 2021. That year the County received 125 <br /> applications and awarded $16,364 to 91 households in property tax assistance. A third of these <br /> awards were under $50 and 52% of awards were under $100. Of the 91 approved applicants, <br /> 45%were white, 44% were black, 4%were multi-racial, and 1% Asian. 60% of the approved <br /> applications were age 65 or over. <br /> In Spring 2022, the Board approved program design changes to LHA that: <br /> • Decreased the home ownership requirement to 5 years from 10 years; and <br /> • Changed award amounts to cover the full County portion of the tax bill (not just the <br /> change in tax amounts from the previous year) that is in excess of 2% of participant <br /> income <br /> 2022 COMMUNITY OUTREACH & APPLICATIONS: <br /> Starting summer of 2022, County staff have worked with staff the Marion Cheek Jackson Center <br /> for Saving and Making History and Justice United to increase outreach and information about <br /> the program, including: <br /> • Mailing LHA program info inside the tax bills mailed to County residents in August 2022 <br /> • Including LHA program info in the County newsletter and in the News of Orange County <br /> information page <br /> • Providing program flyers and applications at the Housing offices in Chapel Hill and <br /> Hillsborough; at the Jackson Center; via Justice United at faith-based organizations <br /> • Media coverage by Chapelboro and WHCL <br /> Maung Addreis "illsborough ofte [hazel HIM Oel tce <br /> F.O.Box A 189 MG W.Tryon Street 2541 Homestead Road <br /> Hillsborough.NC 273711 HollsloraL�gh,IVC 27278 Chapel Hill,NC 27516 <br /> Ta6ephone fi9I )245-2490-Fax 491%944-13496 <br />