Minutes 11-01-2022 Business Meeting

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7 After this public hearing on the draft HOME-ARP Allocation Plan, staff will incorporate public feedback into the Plan and present a final version for approval by the Collaborative. Once the Collaborative approves, staff will submit the Plan to HUD. HUD is responsible for final approval of the Plan, at which point, the Consortium may begin to use its HOME-ARP funds. To use the funds, the County will submit draw requests to HUD through its finance system on a reimbursement basis. Any HOME-ARP funds not disbursed by September 30, 2030 will revert back to HUD. Corey Root, Director of Housing and Community Development, reviewed the background information for this item. She said there are many steps in order to access the money allocated for Orange County from HOME-ARP funds. She said there was a first public hearing around a year ago for the HOME-ARP Allocation Plan. She said the county is not required to do a second public hearing, but wanted to anyway because the first one was getting input on what should be in the plan and this one is focused on input on what the plan actually says. She said staff has done robust outreach and consulted the many groups that work on housing throughout the county, as well as service providers, the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness Leadership Team and working groups. She said staff also conducted a community survey and has gotten input from folks with lived experienced of housing insecurity. She said all of this input was included in the draft plan, and the recommendation from the Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative is to put the extra HOME-ARP money into the regular HOME funding to have a combined application process for service providers beginning in December 2022 or January 2023. She said any input received tonight or during the scheduled public comment period will be included in the revised plan. The plan will then be submitted to HUD, and hope to have the approved plan available by January 2023. A motion was made by Commissioner Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to open the public hearing. VOTE: UNANIMOUS There was no one signed up to speak for the public hearing. A motion was made by Commissioner Greene, seconded by Commissioner Fowler, to close the public hearing. VOTE: UNANIMOUS Commissioner Greene said this is a good idea and plan. Commissioner Richards said she appreciated the extensive effort to get input on the plan. She said it struck her how many groups are working on this issue in the county. She said it begs the question of how they can all have a strategy that works together in order to leverage the funding. She said if there was a more clear strategy or definition about what the county was trying to do, they might be able to have a bigger impact. She said she likes having a streamlined process, but hopes the money will be able to have the most effective impact. Commissioner Bedford said she also noted that the non-profits, organizations, and the towns all hit on the same needs. She said Orange County is fortunate to have this additional funding and that she looks forward to seeing the applications. She asked which group will prioritize the applications. Corey Root said the Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative will do that.