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1 <br /> ORANGE COUNTY <br /> BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS <br /> ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT <br /> Meeting Date: February 20, 2025 <br /> Action Agenda <br /> Item No. 7-b <br /> SUBJECT: Longtime Homeowner Assistance (LHA) Program Report — 2024 Results <br /> DEPARTMENT: Housing <br /> ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: <br /> PowerPoint Presentation Blake Rosser, Housing Director, 245- <br /> 2490 <br /> Aaron Cohen, Community Development <br /> Manager, 245-2490 <br /> PURPOSE: To receive a report on the results of the Calendar Year 2024 Longtime Homeowner <br /> Assistance (LHA) program, which provides assistance to longtime low-income Orange County <br /> homeowners on their property tax bill. <br /> BACKGROUND: For 2024, Housing staff again utilized the Orange County Board of <br /> Commissioners 2023 authorized updates to the program design for the Longtime Homeowner <br /> Assistance (LHA) program to: <br /> • Increase the baseline minimum award amount: a minimum award amount of$200 <br /> • Introduce a baseline maximum award amount: $1,500 <br /> • And use the HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) and Housing Trust Fund <br /> (HTF) Homeownership Value Limits ("95% limits") as the maximum home value eligible <br /> for the Longtime Homeowner Assistance program. <br /> County staff worked with community partners on a five-month media campaign to increase <br /> awareness about program eligibility and how to apply, with the goal of increasing the number of <br /> program applicants from 2023. LHA media campaign efforts in 2024 included: <br /> • The Tax Office sent the LHA program information flyer alongside the 2024 Tax Bills that <br /> were mailed in August 2024. <br /> • County staff worked with community partners at the Jackson Center, Homeowners United, <br /> and Justice United to promote the LHA program. <br /> • Organized visits to local churches and the Rogers Road and Cedar Grove Community <br /> Centers to complete LHA applications and distribute LHA flyers. <br /> • Partnered with church congregations in Orange County, including in northern Orange, to <br /> share information. <br /> Unlike previous years, advertisements were not placed in area newspapers. This saved the <br /> County more than $10,000 in administrative costs and did not appear to impact the accessibility <br /> of the program (the number of applications increased from this year from 2023 by 11%). <br />