Agenda 09-16-2025; 8-a - Minutes for August 26, 2025 Business Meeting

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9 1 renters though all were flooded. She doesn't want to return to the flood zone and said 2 homeowners insurance isn't releasing information about programs to help. 3 Jessica Tickles was unable to speak but had a representative convey her need for support 4 recovering documents destroyed in the flood. 5 Heather Gibbs appreciated the help received but emphasized timing issues. She was on 6 housing lists before Camelot Village and only went there as a last resort after a homeless shelter 7 said she'd be on the street otherwise. She didn't know it was a flood zone until signing her lease. 8 With physical disabilities including cognitive issues, stroke, and seizures, she shouldn't be in such 9 a location. She's been actively applying since July but faces constant barriers - being on lists for 10 2-4 years, waiting weeks for apartments to be ready, units failing inspection. She's still waiting for 11 her current application to be processed. She said extended funding would help navigate these 12 barriers, especially for those needing special accommodations with limited availability. 13 Quinton Simmons said additional funding is needed. He doesn't want to return to Camelot 14 where he almost lost his life in the flood. Even when not flooding, rain causes paranoia about 15 when it will flood again. He said the apartment he applied for may not be ready, so the funding 16 will keep him and others from becoming homeless until their housing is ready. He asked the Board 17 to keep their promise that residents wouldn't be homeless. 18 CR Clark from Triangle Tenant Union stated $20,000 isn't enough, as it goes to hotels and 19 landlords for application fees rather than directly supporting residents. He explained that with 20 individual assistance not coming until October, residents need help for the next month-plus. He 21 said those not already on public services lack case management support, relying on individual 22 volunteers without resources or ability to cut red tape. He believes the county should provide 23 relocation support and ensure appropriate housing; he explained that some disabled residents 24 were offered inaccessible third and fourth floor apartments.As one of the state's richest counties 25 that heard about billion-dollar corporations, food trucks at sporting events, and Icelandic 26 vacations, he said that Orange County can afford more for its most vulnerable. With $130,000 27 remaining in the Social Justice Fund, he requested that more should go to these residents. 28 Mei Wang celebrated the community response through Triangle Mutual Aid, Triangle 29 Tenant Union, and volunteers mucking out apartments and helping residents navigate finding 30 affordable housing. They particularly recognized Devin Gilgor delivering meals nightly to Comfort 31 Inn residents. They shared that four residents still lack appropriate housing options and urged 32 continued support and more direct assistance to displaced residents rather than money 33 exclusively going to hotels and landlords. At a press conference, they said residents discussed 34 Camelot's cycle of flooding, displacement, and landlords repainting to re-rent to new tenants, and 35 many countywide face similar unsafe conditions. They said the county should work with tenants 36 to stand up for their rights. 37 Devin Ceartas of Triangle Mutual Aid reported their collective has been involved in several 38 hundred situations across Orange, Alamance, and Durham counties. They've carried belongings 39 from flooded houses, bought clothes, provided food and funds for people to stay with relatives. 40 Mental health professionals support their ad hoc casework. He said that the visible pattern shows 41 poor people live in places that flood. He said if you must live where your life is endangered 42 because you lack money, you don't have a right to live in America - you must earn it. He 43 emphasized that everyone deserves dignity. He said Triangle Mutual Aid has distributed $86,916 44 across three counties, half directly to impacted people. On a different topic, he criticized Tyler 45 Technology for controlling information and making it inaccessible to the public, citing their 46 statewide system preventing bulk data analysis of mandated public information. 47 Devin Gilgor represented residents unable to attend, including Dale, an amputee whose 48 prosthetic leg was swept off in the flood. He said the fire department's boat motors were 49 insufficient, and couldn't reach those needing the most help. Second-floor residents carried 50 people including Quinton and Dale upstairs until emergency services arrived. He said one resident 51 struggles with unbearable PTSD after living through three Camelot floods, and others couldn't