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27 <br /> AP-60 Public Housing <br /> Introduction <br /> Public housing in Orange County is provided by the Town of Chapel Hill's Office of Housing and <br /> Community.The Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development, OCHA, provides <br /> tenant-based assistance and has been allocated 687 Housing Choice Vouchers (HCV, commonly known <br /> as Section 8), of which 640 are being actively administered.The 640 vouchers include 20 HUD-VASH <br /> Vouchers and four(4) Homeowner Vouchers. OCHA does not manage any public housing units. OCHA is <br /> 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 designated as a high-performer. It received a score of 90% in its 2024 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 2025-2026 <br />