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15 <br /> 2023 Annual ReportOrange� County <br /> JPartnership to <br /> Executive Summary <br /> fl` End Homelessness <br /> Challenges ' <br /> Orange County has seen a significant increase in Fair Market Rents <br /> leading to over half of the rental households in this community being <br /> cost-burdened. <br /> Compounding the rental pressures are the expiration of COVID-era <br /> Emergency Housing Assistance(EHA)funds.New eligibility criteria Av <br /> and benefit caps have increased demand on the homeless system and <br /> increases in first-time homelessness. <br /> While emergency shelter capacity has increased in 2023 and served <br /> more people than ever before,the need for emergency shelter during <br /> inclement weather outstripped shelter capacity. <br /> Like many communities,Orange County has also seen the loss of <br /> institutional knowledge through staff turnover with local partners and <br /> loss of non-local and non-HUD funding,such as the Victims of Crime <br /> Act which supports domestic violence and sexual assault programming. <br /> Successes <br /> As a small Continuum of Care,OCPEH expanded its impact by <br /> partnering with other local homeless systems on federal funding <br /> opportunities. <br /> County government has increased its commitment to address system <br /> needs and prioritized funding for two main drivers of inequity in <br /> the current system by investing in Permanent Supportive Housing A <br /> expansion and funding for Bridge Housing for this current year. <br /> County and local governments have also supported the expansion <br /> of life-saving inclement weather sheltering with plans for greater <br /> collaboration and capacity in 2024. <br /> OCPEH has also leveraged Managed Care Organization funding to , <br /> address a homeless system gap.OCPEH continues to perform well ` <br /> during federal funding competitions,increasing the funding that is <br /> available for homeless system services. <br /> The Road Ahead <br /> North Carolina's decision to expand Medicaid opens new opportunities <br /> to provide housing and related supports to more people experiencing <br /> homelessness in this community.Homeless system partners will need <br /> training and support to be able to utilize these funds. <br /> OCPEH continues to work with regional partners to identify and recruit <br /> providers to Orange County to address system gaps. <br /> OCPEH has been increasing engagement with people with direct <br /> knowledge of the local homeless system in system design,planning, <br /> and assessment,and will continue this focus in the year to come. <br />