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