Orange County NC Website
Browse       Search
1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: October 17, 2023 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 5-b <br /> SUBJECT: Public Hearing on Close Out of CDBG-CV Grant for Emergency Housing <br /> Assistance <br /> DEPARTMENT: Housing <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> Libbie Hough, Community Stability <br /> Manager, 919.619.7116 <br /> PURPOSE: To hold a public hearing on closing out Orange County's Federal Community <br /> Development Block Grant — Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funds. <br /> BACKGROUND: On August 25, 2020, Governor Roy Cooper announced the availability of $28 <br /> million from federal Community Development Block Grant — Coronavirus (CDBG-CV) funding to <br /> be disbursed by the North Carolina Office of Recovery and Resiliency (NCORR) to support rental <br /> and utility payments and prevent evictions for those with a demonstrated need. <br /> Orange County applied for the CDBG-CV funds to be used with the County's existing Emergency <br /> Housing Assistance (EHA) fund, which provides financial assistance to help Orange County <br /> residents with low incomes secure and maintain stable housing. Assistance was available to <br /> households in Orange County that earn no more than 60% of the area median income and had <br /> an urgent need for housing assistance. The total amount awarded to Orange County was <br /> $900,000. <br /> In accordance with closing out the grant, Orange County must hold a public hearing to obtain <br /> residents' comments about the program's impact and how it was administered. In addition to this <br /> public hearing, residents had from September 15 through October 15, 2023 to submit comments <br /> to the Housing Department's Community Stability Manager, Libbie Hough, via email, in writing, or <br /> by phone. <br /> (In January 2023, the program instituted a cap of $6,000/calendar year and moved to assisting <br /> households in Orange County that earn no more than 30% of the area median income, except in <br /> the cases of eviction, utility disconnections, and exiting homelessness. Since July 2023, income <br /> has not used to qualify for assistance; however, the household must document notice of eviction, <br /> imminent utility disconnection, or that they are exiting homelessness. These changes were made <br />