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21 <br /> 1 • The Tax Office included an LHA program information flyer alongside the 2025 tax bills that <br /> 2 were mailed in August 2025. <br /> 3 • County staff worked with community partners including the Jackson Center, Homeowners <br /> 4 United, and Justice United to promote the LHA program. <br /> 5 • Staff organized visits to local churches, and the Rogers Road and Cedar Grove <br /> 6 Community Centers to complete LHA applications and distribute LHA flyers. <br /> 7 • Staff partnered with church congregations in Orange County, including in northern <br /> 8 Orange, to share information. <br /> 9 • Staff emailed prior applicants to remind residents that they must apply every year to <br /> 10 receive an award. <br /> 11 • Staff coordinated with the Orange County Affordable Housing Advisory Board to host a <br /> 12 community meeting with more than 50 residents, including opportunities to complete or <br /> 13 submit an application in person. <br /> 14 <br /> 15 Similar to 2024, advertisements were not placed in area newspapers. This saved the County more <br /> 16 than $10,000 in administrative costs and did not appear to impact the accessibility of the program. <br /> 17 The number of applications increased from 2024 to 2025 by 58%, from 604 to 955 applicants. <br /> 18 <br /> 19 Staff calculated award amounts using the following guidelines: <br /> 20 • All applicants were arranged in priority order <br /> 21 o FIRST: Tax Burden, largest to smallest <br /> 22 o SECOND: Length in Home, longest to shortest <br /> 23 o THIRD: Age, oldest to youngest <br /> 24 • Staff determined a multiplying factor for the remaining $377,805 in available funding and <br /> 25 used this to reduce all other awards by the same percentage. <br /> 26 • All eligible homeowners received a minimum award amount of $200 or up to the full <br /> 27 amount of the County portion of their tax bill if it was less than $200. <br /> 28 • Award amounts were the County portion of the tax bill less 2% of the applicant's household <br /> 29 income. <br /> 30 <br /> 31 Between August 1 and November 3, 2025, the County received 955 applications and awarded <br /> 32 $509,804 (including $86,999 in Chapel Hill supplemental funding and $45,000 in Carrboro <br /> 33 supplemental funding). The minimum award amount was $200. The average award amount for <br /> 34 recipients was $491.97, and the median award amount was $432.70. This award amount will <br /> 35 increase slightly in the coming weeks, as staff must still apply the $18,720 that the Board added <br /> 36 to program funds as part of discussion in December 2025 and a budget amendment in January <br /> 37 2026. A second round of supplemental checks will be sent out to applicable homeowners. <br /> 38 <br /> 39 LHA Applications Submitted <br /> 40 <br /> 41 2024 2025 <br /> 42 Number Percentage Number Percentage <br /> 43 <br /> 44 Eligible <br /> 45 Applications 502 83% 805 84% <br /> 46 Ineligible <br /> 47 Applications 102 17% 149 16% <br /> 48 <br /> TOTAL 604 954 <br />