Orange County NC Website
/ '.'.LAC 182 <br />The following petition, which had been sign®d by forty-three (43) residents of <br />Cedar Grove Township, was filed with the Board: <br />"We, the undersigned residents of Orange County, Cedar Grove Township, <br />North Carolina, do hereby file formal protest in the form of a Petition <br />against the Urban Housing Development Project now before the Orange County <br />Board of Commissioners for study. It is respectfully requested that <br />this petition be weighed, and that same be incorporated as a Dart of the <br />official minutes of the Prange County Board of Commissioners." <br />Chairman Smith inquired if there were any other persons who desired to speak <br />in opposition of the establishment of a Public Housing Authority. No other <br />opponents came forward. <br />Chairman Smith asked if there were any questions anyone desired to ask the <br />Board of Commissioners or if they wished to direct questions to any of the persons <br />speaking as a proponent or as an opponent on the matter of Public Housing. <br />Commissioner Ward asked Mr. Boswell, representative from the Department of <br />Housing and Urban Development, if there were any limitations upon the number of <br />housing units that could be built in a designated area. <br />Mr. Boswell replied that there were no actual limits as far as his agency was <br />concerned; however, this was a auestion which the appropriate local housing group <br />would have to pre-determine. <br />Oscar Compton inquired whether or not there were restrictions concerning how <br />far housing units might be placed from certain basic necessities such as hospitals, <br />shopping areas and schools. <br />Mr. Boswell replied, "Yes", the agency does have certain restrictions as those <br />mentioned by Mr. Compton. <br />Joe Ward asked what was considered a sub-standard house. <br /> <br />Paul Guthrie replied that sub-standard housing was judged on the basis of the <br />condition of the house relative to plumbing facilities, which would include water <br />and sewerage, dilapidated or deteriorated structure and heating facilities. Mr. <br />Guthrie stated that his previous statement relative to the fact that forty percent <br />(40%) of the housing in Orange County was sub-standard was based upon the standards <br />which had bean set by the Bureau of the Census. <br />Rev. B. A. Mack asked whether or not a certain percent of a tenants income <br />must be allocated to rent payments. <br />Mr. Boswell replied, "Yes". <br />An unidentified person asked whether or not the county would be requested to <br />provide funds for rent supplements to tenants of a housing project. <br />Chairman Smith replied, "No". <br />Mrs. Shea inquired as to whether or not the persons in attendance realized that <br />the people living in any public housing units would be unable to upgrade their own <br />living conditions, because of the lack of education, skills and health. Commissioner <br />Smith replied that the Board of Commissioners were aware of this problem. <br />An unidentified person asked whether or not the County Board of Commissioners <br />were considering the adoption of a Housing Code. <br />Commissioner Smith replied, "Yes". <br />An unidentified person asked what authority the Board of Commissioners would <br />retain over the Housing Authority. Commissioner Smith answered that the Board <br />of Commissioners would have no direct control over the Housing Authority. <br />An unidentified person asked whether or not the Housing Authority would have <br />the authority to regulate a tenants conduct. Coolidge Porterfield replied that <br />the Housing Authority would have the power to enforce reasonable regulations <br />concerning the conduct of its tenants.