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25 <br /> 1 A motion was made by Chair Bedford to remove the closed session from the agenda. <br /> 2 Commissioner McKee seconded the motion. <br /> 3 <br /> 4 VOTE: UNANIMOUS <br /> 5 <br /> 6 b. Discussion of a Ground Lease with UNC for 2700 Homestead Road for the Cold <br /> 7 Weather Cots Program and Integrated Day Center <br /> 8 The Board: <br /> 9 1) received and discussed information regarding a facility located at 2700 Homestead Road <br /> 10 in Chapel Hill as a potential location for the Cold Weather Cots Program and an <br /> 11 Integrated Day Center; <br /> 12 2) authorized staff to enter into negotiation with UNC for a ground lease of up to ten (10) <br /> 13 years for the 2700 Homestead Road property; and <br /> 14 3) directed staff to develop a budget amendment to fund the compliance and design study. <br /> 15 <br /> 16 BACKGROUND: In April 2025, County Manager Travis Myren and Interim Chapel Hill Town <br /> 17 Manager Mary Jane Nirdlinger sent a letter to Gordon Merklein, UNC Associate Vice Chancellor <br /> 18 for Real Estate and Campus Enterprises, regarding a UNC facility at 2700 Homestead Road in <br /> 19 Chapel Hill. The building, formerly a Duke Energy property, appeared to be under-utilized by <br /> 20 UNC and in a location that would be well-situated for the County's cold weather cots operation <br /> 21 and a potential integrated day center. <br /> 22 <br /> 23 The cold weather cots operation was held at University Baptist Church in Chapel Hill last winter, <br /> 24 but this location is not available to the County for the upcoming winter of 2025-2026. Instead, <br /> 25 the Orange County Housing Department is executing memoranda of understanding (MOU's) <br /> 26 with 1) the Town of Chapel Hill to utilize the former Chapel Hill Police Department Building on <br /> 27 Martin Luther King, Jr. Boulevard; and 2) St. Matthew's Church in Hillsborough — both to serve <br /> 28 as the cold weather cot locations for the upcoming winter. An integrated day center, which is one <br /> 29 of the gaps identified in the Partnership to End Homelessness Systems Gaps Analysis, has <br /> 30 been a high priority gap for the County to fill. <br /> 31 <br /> 32 The letter sent by the County and Town Managers inquired as to whether UNC would be willing <br /> 33 to consider allowing the County to utilize the Homestead Road building for these two identified <br /> 34 needs. The letter followed numerous conversations between UNC stakeholders and Town and <br /> 35 County staff regarding the issue of unsheltered individuals in the downtown Chapel Hill area. <br /> 36 UNC, through its Director of Local Relations, Ivy Taylor, expressed an interest in learning more <br /> 37 about local efforts to support the unhoused population and to address behavioral health <br /> 38 concerns. In addition to discussions about longer-term efforts such as the Crisis Diversion <br /> 39 Facility, the issue of a new location for the cold weather cots program and opening an integrated <br /> 40 day center came up. There was significant interest by UNC and the Town of Chapel Hill in <br /> 41 supporting both of these priorities. <br /> 42 <br /> 43 An integrated day center is a central place where people in housing crisis can access many <br /> 44 different needed services. More than just a drop-in center offering basic necessities, this model <br /> 45 integrates medical, behavioral and housing-focused services to help individuals move to stable <br /> 46 housing and self-sufficiency. It offers a coordinated and comprehensive, trauma-informed <br /> 47 approach that moves away from a siloed system that requires individuals to travel to different <br /> 48 locations and appointments to get the services they need. It also offers a building with heating <br /> 49 and cooling, bathrooms and other resources that provide a reprieve from the outdoors. <br /> 50 <br />