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28 <br /> AP-60 Public Housing <br /> Introduction <br /> Public housing in Orange County is provided by two entities: the Orange County Housing Authority <br /> (OCHA) and the Town of Chapel Hill's Office of Housing and Community. Housed within the Orange <br /> County Department of Housing and Community Development, OCHA has been allocated 633 Housing <br /> Choice Vouchers (HCV, commonly known as Section 8), of which 528 are being actively administered. <br /> The 528 vouchers includes 20 HUD-VASH Vouchers and four (4) Homeowner Vouchers. OCHA does not <br /> manage any public housing units. OCHA is overseen by a seven (7) member Board. <br /> Actions planned during the next year to address the needs to public housing <br /> The Orange County HOME Consortium is undertaking the following to address the needs of HCV holders: <br /> • In partnership with the Towns and local nonprofits, work to increase the number of landlords <br /> willing to participate in the HCV Program. A full-time Housing Access Coordinator was hired in <br /> 2020 to foster relationships with landlords in the community and increase participation in HCV <br /> and other housing subsidy programs. <br /> • Work to streamline the design and administration of the housing stabilization funds (designed to <br /> help low-income renters, including HCV holders, secure and maintain stable housing) offered by <br /> the County and each of the Towns <br /> • Ensure units in which households in the HCV Program live are safe and healthy, by conducting <br /> Quality Control inspections on a subset of units <br /> • Implement a "Move On" program, in which people with Permanent Supportive Housing <br /> Vouchers (PSHVs) whose service needs have lowered considerably and/or who no longer need <br /> services are transitioned to HCVs, freeing up PSHVs for individuals with higher service needs <br /> Actions to encourage public housing residents to become more involved in management and <br /> participate in homeownership <br /> OCHA does not own any public housing units. However, OCHA has HCV holder involvement on its Board <br /> and encourages HCV holders to become homeowners. <br /> If the PHA is designated as troubled, describe the manner in which financial assistance will be <br /> provided or other assistance <br /> OCHA is not designated as troubled. It received a score of 93% in its 2019 SEMAP rating. <br /> Discussion <br /> Orange County lacks housing affordable to households with very low incomes. Rental assistance <br /> programs like the HCV Program are essential in creating affordability for these households within the <br /> private market. OCHA continues to engage landlords in order to create access to more units for HCV <br /> holders, and works to maximize federal and local resources for housing access and stabilization. <br /> Annual Action Plan 25 <br /> FY 2024-2025 <br />