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85 <br /> The Community Empowerment Fund (CEF), a local nonprofit service provider,fills a great need for <br /> relationship-based, client-centered job readiness,job search, and life skills services. CEF has an <br /> integrated service center in Chapel Hill where clients can access these services. From 2018 to 2020, a <br /> Housing Access Coordinator position,funded jointly by the County and the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel <br /> Hill and Hillsborough, was hosted at CEF,which provided housing navigation services to low-income <br /> households in need of affordable housing or at risk of losing their housing. <br /> Describe the strengths and gaps of the service delivery system for people with service needs <br /> and persons experiencing homelessness, including, but not limited to,the services listed <br /> above <br /> The Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness (OCPEH) is a strong lead agency for the Orange <br /> County Continuum of Care (CoC).The CoC's strengths include: <br /> • There has been a 37%decrease from 2010 to 2019 in chronic homelessness, and a 16%decrease <br /> in the number of people experiencing homelessness for the first time from 2016 to 2019. <br /> • Coordinated intake is underway for families and individuals experiencing homelessness. <br /> • The CoC prioritizes people with disabilities, illness, and experiencing chronic homelessness for <br /> openings in permanent supportive housing units using the Vulnerability Index-Service <br /> Prioritization Assistance Tool (VI-SPDAT). <br /> • The Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development has a preference in its <br /> Housing Choice Voucher(HCV) program for certain especially vulnerable subpopulations of <br /> people experiencing homelessness <br /> • In 2020,the County plans to implement a "Move On" program, in which people with Permanent <br /> Supportive Housing Vouchers (PSHVs)whose service needs have lowered considerably and/or <br /> no longer need services are transitioned to HCVs,freeing up PSHVs for more vulnerable <br /> individuals with higher service needs. <br /> • Regular outreach to people living unsheltered helps build trust and helps some of these people <br /> move into permanent supportive housing. <br /> • The CoC has implemented a Homeless Management Information System (HMIS), coordinated <br /> through the North Carolina Coalition to End Homelessness (NCCEH). Performance data from <br /> HMIS help drive program decision-making and is used to monitor, evaluate, and report program <br /> and system-wide performance. <br /> • OCPEH and the Community Empowerment Fund (CEF) have created OC Connect, a free online <br /> database that lists all services and resources offered by government and/or nonprofit <br /> organizations in Orange County. For local social service partners, OC Connect also hosts a tool <br /> for coordinated assessment to route individuals at risk of or facing homelessness to solutions <br /> that meet their needs and administers an assessment tool to prioritize and coordinate care for <br /> vulnerable people experiencing homelessness in Orange County. <br /> According to the gap analysis done in 2019 by OCPEH,there are ten current system gaps preventing the <br /> County from effectively ending homelessness. The total annual cost to fill these gaps is estimated at <br /> about$1.7 million per year.The identified gaps are: <br /> IFFY 2020—2024 Orange County, NC HOME Consortium 82 <br /> Consolidated Plan <br /> OMB Control No:2506-0117(exp.06/30/2018) <br />