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98 <br /> Attachments <br /> Summary of Public Comments <br /> First Public Hearing (Carrboro Town Hall, February 19, 2020) <br /> A member of the Carrboro Affordable Housing Advisory Commission expressed concern that the public <br /> input survey was too long and difficult to be completed by someone with limited literacy, and suggested <br /> that the Orange County Literacy Council should be consulted to maximize the accessibility and <br /> readability of future surveys. <br /> Second Public Hearing (Hillsborough Police Substation, February 23, 2020) <br /> Residents of Cedar Grove shared their experiences with affordable housing issues in rural Orange <br /> County. One resident discussed his work in the food service industry and the struggles many of his co- <br /> workers face with securing stable, affordable housing in addition to issues like transportation to and <br /> from work. Another resident discussed her work as a civil attorney working with tenant-landlord issues, <br /> and the challenges many low-income tenants face. For instance, North Carolina law only requires a few <br /> days' notice when a landlord wants to evict a tenant. For low-income renters, it is often very difficult to <br /> even appear in court for the eviction hearing due to the difficulty of getting of work, making childcare <br /> arrangements, finding transportation, etc. on such short notice.Another issue in rural areas of the <br /> County is the prevalence of substandard housing conditions that many low-income renters are forced to <br /> endure because of lack of other affordable options and fear of retaliation from landlords if a complaint <br /> is filed with code enforcement. <br /> Third Public Hearing (Hargraves Community Center, February 26, 2020) <br /> Several residents expressed concern that outreach around the Consolidated Plan has not done enough <br /> to reach relevant communities and stakeholders, particularly people of color and people with disabilities <br /> in Orange County. Residents shared their work organizing in and advocating for black communities in <br /> Carrboro and representing adult children with intellectual disabilities, and described the difficulty faced <br /> by both groups in accessing safe, affordable, quality housing. <br /> Racist housing policies and practices by governmental and private actors created the unsafe and <br /> unstable housing conditions many black families are forced to face. In wealthy, predominantly white <br /> communities like Orange County, racial disparities in housing are even more intractable because <br /> communities of color are made to feel invisible and their needs are consistently ignored by the wealthy, <br /> white majority. <br /> People with disabilities, including those with mobility impairments, also face huge challenges in finding <br /> housing that is both accessible in terms of affordability and proximity to needed services, as well as <br /> physically accessible. Many people with disabilities have limited housing choice due to a lack of housing <br /> stock that meets their needs, and often are unable to live in integrated, inclusive, and intentional <br /> settings.Transportation for this population is another significant barrier, not just for getting to school, <br /> work, and personal appointments, but for attending community meetings such as this one. <br /> FFY 2020—2024 Orange County, NC HOME Consortium 95 <br /> Consolidated Plan <br /> OMB Control No:2506-0117(exp.06/30/2018) <br />