Minutes 05-19-2026-Business Meeting

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16 problem signing an agreement to maintain 30% AMI affordability for the entire 99-year ground lease period. Commissioner McKee said he would prefer to see the affordability period match the ground lease when public money is involved, and that he wants the program to serve the population it is intended for as long as possible. Commissioner Greene praised this project. She said she does not necessarily agree with tying the formal affordability requirement to the full 99 years, noting that organizations like DHIC maintain their properties far beyond the 30-year LIHTC requirements as a matter of practice and mission. She said the real significance of the initiative lies in the partnership forged between Habitat for Humanity, Hope NC, and Empowerment NC, describing it as exactly the kind of collaborative, highly leveraged project the county wants to support for this population. Chair Hamilton raised a concern about the Memorandum of Agreement's language regarding the 50%Orange County residency requirement. She said the MOA as drafted indicates that the restrictions on affordability and Orange County residency apply for a term of five years, not 30, and that after five years there would be no enforceable guarantee that any beds would be reserved for Orange County residents. She said this inconsistency is concerning given the language about a 30-year affordability period elsewhere. Caitlin Fenhagen acknowledged the discrepancy.She said Alliance Health's attorney had reviewed the MOA and, upon the county attorney's original proposal of a 30-year term, Alliance struck it back to five years.She said their reasoning was that the$100,000 represents a five-year grant agreement and that the broader affordability is already protected through other funding agreements. She said she and John Roberts can attempt to renegotiate the language and offered to go back to Alliance Health to attempt to extend the restriction to 30 years. Commissioner Bedford said this is one of the Board's first examples of project-based vouchers.She asked how the Medicaid waiver for people with IDD works to support housing. Laura Wells said the Medicaid waiver does not cover housing. She said that is why Hope NC has tried to make partnerships with LME/MCOs to collaborate on inclusive housing. Commissioner Bedford said that is especially discouraging, given that there are 17,000 North Carolinians on the waitlist for a waiver and it wouldn't even help them with housing costs. She said she is very supportive of this project and appreciates all the work that was done to make it happen. She acknowledged the effort Habitat went through for 20 years to get this off the ground considering the neighbors opposing it. She said to be aware that EmPOWERment may not have training on supporting folks with IDD and encouraged training if needed. She said she hopes to get beyond the 30-year affordability period, and said she believes this is a model that can be replicated. Commissioner Portie-Ascott asked where the Orange County residents that were selected reside currently. Laura Wells said that she believes one is a Chapel Hill resident and the other two are from other parts of the county. John Roberts clarified the legal position offered by Alliance's attorney. He said Alliance's attorney indicated that having a 30-year affordability restriction in the MOA would require Alliance Health to record restrictive covenants on the property and to serve as the enforcer of those covenants for the entire period. He said Alliance is not willing to take on that long-term monitoring responsibility for what they view as a five-year grant agreement. Chair Hamilton said she does not understand their point about a five-year grant. John Roberts clarified that he is only conveying the other attorney's position, but that Alliance intends to issue the $100,000 grant for a five-year term. Chair Hamilton said that she does not agree with Alliance's position.