Agenda - 11-19-2002-9d - Laserfiche WebLink

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ORANGE COUNTY BOARD OF COMMISSIONERS ACTION AGENDA ITEM ABSTRACT Meeting Date: November 19, 2002 Action Age da Item No. _ SUBJECT: Section 8 Project Based Voucher Pro ram Polic DEPARTMENT: Housing/Comm. Development PUBLIC HEARING: (YIN) No ATTACHMENT(S): INFORMATION CONTACT: Tara L. Fikes, ext. 2490 Section 8 Program Status Report TELEPHONE NUMBERS: Proposed Policy Hillsborough 732-8181 Chapel Hill 968-4501 Durham 688-7331 Mebane 336-227-2031 PURPOSE: To consider approval of a Section 8 Project Based Voucher Program Policy under the County's Section 8 Housing Voucher Program. BACKGROUND: The Housing and Community Development Department administers the Section 8 Housing Voucher Program for Orange County. This program provides rent subsidies to low income families renting standard property throughout the County. Funding for the program comes from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD). Currently, the program has budget authority to provide rent subsidies for approximately 623 families. The total number of families served by the program has not changed over the last five years due to the lack of growth in the national program. In October 2001, the Department temporarily suspended the acceptance of applications for housing assistance under the Section 8 Program due to an existing waiting list of approximately 1,000 families, which translates into a four (4) to five (5) year waiting list. At the October 15, 2002 BOCC meeting, Chris Moran of Inter-Faith Council asked the Board of Commissioners to direct staff to reopen the Section 8 waiting list, purge the waiting list, and to establish preferences for applicants to the Section 8 Program. In response, staff has prepared a report on the current overall status of the program. Additionally, in anticipation of the potential future development of rental housing complexes for families and individuals with special needs, department staff is recommending the establishment of a policy for a Project Based Section 8 Program. HUD requires that this policy be approved by the Board of County Commissioners prior to implementation. More specifically, a project-based program will provide for the allocation of Section 8 assistance to existing or new dwelling units serving persons with disabilities with incomes less that 50% of the median income. This is in contrast to the current tenant-based program that allows low-income persons to receive rental subsidy regardless of location as long as the unit meets Housing Quality Standards.