Agenda - 09-02-2008 - 4g - Laserfiche WebLink

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What kinds of work will be done? Each house selected for assistance will be rehabilitated to meet all SFR2008 program rehabilitation standards. That means every house must, upon completion of the rehabilitation: • Meet the US Department of Housing and Urban Development ("HUD°) Section 8 Housing Quality Standards and any Minimum Housing Codes which apply. (These are so-called "habitability standards" which set minimum standards for decent, safe and sanitary living conditions.) • Meet or exceed NCHFA Energy Standards. (These are standards designed to save energy and save you money on your monthly utility bills. They also result in healthier and more comfortable homes.) • Retain no "imminent threats" to the house's "structural integrity". (This means the County will try to ensure that if you provide reasonable maintenance over the years your house should be capable of lasting at least 30 or 40 more years after rehabilitation. One good example of an imminent threat to structural integrity is a crawlspace that is too damp. In time it might promote damage to your framing through termites or fungi.) These requirements are spelled out in full in Orange County's SFR2008 Administrator's Manual which you may view, at reasonable times, upon request, at the County's office. In addition to the above items that must be done to satisfy NCHFA requirements, the scope of work may also include certain items meant to enhance or protect neighborhood and unit property values, and/or home modifications designed to enable frail or disabled household members to function more independently. Generally, Orange County will specify that rehabilitation tasks be accomplished in the least-expensive method that is deemed adequate to meet program standards. The SFR assistance cannot be used for luxury ornon-essential work. Of course, contractors performing work funded under SFR2008 are responsible for meeting all local requirements for permits and inspections. All work done under the program must be performed to NC State Residential Building Code standards. (This does not mean, however, that the whole house must be brought up to Building Code Standards.) What about lead-based paint? Until it was discovered to be a health hazard, the metal lead was used for centuries to make house paints. Now we know that eating chips or dust of lead-based paint can cause very serious problems for small children. Selling lead paint was outlawed in 1978, but many older buildings still contain lead paint and children are still being poisoned. Under SFR2008, a lead hazard evaluation will be performed on every home selected for rehabilitation that was built before 1978. The specific type of evaluation and the appropriate lead hazard reduction work performed will depend on the total amount of Federal funds used to rehabilitate the home, as per 24 CFR part 35.