Agenda 07-08-2025; 8-a - Minutes

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11 1 PUBLIC COMMENTS: 2 Lynn Nilssen read the following prepared statement on behalf of the Affordable Housing 3 Advisory Board: 4 "On behalf of the Orange County Affordable Housing Advisory Board (AHAB), we write to 5 express our support for the proposed 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan. 6 The AHAB was established in 2001 to advise the Orange County Board of County 7 Commissioners, as well as relevant housing staff, on issues related to local housing needs and 8 to support increased community engagement on critical housing topics. We have been following 9 the development of the 2025-2029 Consolidated Plan Draft and agree with the Housing 10 Department's recommendation to focus on helping those experiencing the most urgent housing 11 challenges, with the bulk of funds going to households earning under 30% and between 30%- 12 50% of AMI. These priorities were also elevated throughout the community engagement process. 13 The best and most efficient use of these funds will go to the preservation of existing housing stock 14 via the home repair programming and to tenant-based rental assistance. Amidst the ongoing 15 national affordable housing crisis - here in Orange County 55% of renters and 18% of 16 homeowners are housing cost burdened - an often overlooked factor contributing to this issue is 17 stagnant or insufficient wages. Many working families who make up the backbone of our 18 community earn well below the necessary wage of $27.70 per hour per adult for a family of 4 to 19 make ends meet. While we have little control over federal funding, the county does have the ability 20 through its Economic Development Plan to find opportunities to ease the housing cost burden for 21 the residents of the county. The AHAB seeks to collaborate with the Economic Development 22 Advisory Board, the county, and community to help ease the housing cost burden for the residents 23 of the county. In this way our county can take a more holistic approach to addressing the housing 24 needs of the county. We are in deep appreciation of the dedicated and tireless work of the Housing 25 Department staff to help the most vulnerable in our community despite funding and resource 26 challenges." 27 David Remington said he is representing Orange County Justice United. He asked those 28 present who support this item to stand. He thanked Blake Rosser and Aaron Rimmler-Cohen for 29 their work and putting the plan together. He said this plan supports what came out of the listening 30 sessions Justice United led. He said he is worked with Habitat for Humanity on small repair needs, 31 but it barely scratches the surface. He said many homeowners need more intensive repairs that 32 go beyond what volunteers can do. He said there is a huge backlog of needs that need to be 33 addressed. He said that without a serious effort to repair homes,will lose homes to disrepair faster 34 than new affordable housing can be built. 35 Delores Bailey, Executive Director of EmPOWERment, said she has mixed feelings about 36 the report that Blake gave. She said she is torn. She said she agrees that people whose homes 37 are in disrepair need support and she applauds the effort. She said she suggests that in future 38 years, they need to plan for homelessness. She said there is a large need. She said Orange 39 County was a system leader during COVID but when the money went away, residents were left 40 hurting, and they are still hurting. She said she wants the county to think about long-term housing 41 assistance. She said that this money should go toward repairs but that future plans should be 42 made for low-income housing development. 43 44 A motion was made by Vice-Chair Hamilton, seconded by Commissioner Greene, to close 45 the public hearing. 46 47 VOTE: UNANIMOUS 48 49 Commissioner Carter said she supports the conclusions in the report and the focusing on 50 the resources they have been approved for. She said that knowing the need is so much greater