Located in North Carolina, Orange County includes not only the towns of Carrboro and Hillsborough, but also Chapel Hill, the home of the largest campus of the State university. The presence of university students, more affluent and transient than other county residents, has created an imbalance in terms of housing and community development needs. Orange County must, therefore, concentrate its efforts on serving a strong urban community and rural areas as well.
The Consolidated Plan for Orange County has a total budget of nearly $1.1 million, of which $468,000 comes from Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds and $500,000 from HOME Investment Partnership Program (HOME) funds (with $112,500 in applicant match).
Development of the Consolidated Plan for Orange County was undertaken by a staff working group that included a representative from each municipal/county jurisdiction throughout the region. Having developed a draft plan, the working group presented it to the public for comment. Copies of the draft were available at the following locations: Chapel Hill Town Hall, Chapel Hill Public Library, Carrboro Town Hall, Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development, Orange County Library, and Hillsborough Town Hall. In addition to an advertisement describing the plan published in the Chapel Hill Herald , notices were mailed to members of all human service agencies, housing non-profit board members, and the Chapel Hill Housing Advisory Committee members, informing them of the availability of this document for comment.
The Chapel Hill Town Council held two public hearings to elicit citizen
comments, and the Orange County Board of Commissioners held one public hearing.
In 1990 the population of Orange County was 92,572. Of that number, 81 percent were white, 16 percent were African American, and 4 percent were other minority groups. Although the Asian-American and Pacific Islander population constituted less than 1 percent of the total population, approximately 71 percent of the county's new Asian-American population resided in Chapel Hill.
According to the 1990 census, 9,932 of all households in Orange County were
considered very low income, with incomes between 0-50 percent of median family
income (MFI). With the exception of whites, a disproportionate percentage among
all other racial groups was very low income, ranging from 37 percent of the
Native-American population to 44 percent of the African-American population.
The high cost of homeownership has forced many families to purchase housing in other counties and commute into Orange County for work. The inflation of the rental market by University of North Carolina-Chapel Hill (UNC-CH) students has caused hardships for families with incomes below 50 percent of MFI. Larger rental units are particularly scarce.
Although the median value of a new home was $147,577 in 1990, among the highest in the State, the median income for a family of four was $46,800. Because of this imbalance, the majority of residents cannot afford to buy a home within the county limits.
The availability of basic rental units was also a major concern, especially in the Chapel Hill/Carrboro area. Many UNC-CH students have the financial means to compete with very low- and low-income residents for the least expensive housing. The scarcity of three- bedroom or more units has made it difficult for large families to find adequate housing.
According to the 1990 census, Orange County had the highest percentage of very low- income households with housing problems in North Carolina; 77 percent of residents in this category cite cost burden and overcrowding as major issues. The county had 12,012 low- income households, of which 5,189 were located in Chapel Hill. According to a 1989 report from the North Carolina Rural Economic Development Center, 1,052 units in Orange County lacked indoor plumbing.
The lack of affordable housing forced renters to live in substandard units. Housing problems were reported in 86 percent of very low-income households, and 97 percent of large families were forced to live in overcrowded, substandard units. The majority of the 3,919 homeowners in this category were cost burdened, paying between 31-50 percent of their income on housing.
The 7,070 other low-income residents, who earned 51-80 percent of MFI, experienced fewer housing problems. Approximately 36 percent of the low-income renters in Orange County and 43 percent of those in Chapel Hill had housing problems.
The numbers of homeless persons in Orange County have increased dramatically. From January 1 through December 1, 1994, the InterFaith Council Community House reported serving 879 individuals, of whom 2 out of 3 were males. Of this number, 536 were African American, 272 were white, and 62 were Hispanic. An additional 12,000 families, mostly female headed, were threatened with homelessness.
The greatest increase in the homeless population in Orange County was among women, children, and families, frequently victims of domestic violence. Between 1991 and 1992, the number of homeless women increased by 10 percent and the number of homeless children increased by 35 percent. Since the Battered Women's Shelter for Orange County and Durham County is located in Durham, women who wanted to maintain their children's attendance in the Chapel Hill-Carrboro Schools had no other option but the homeless shelter.
However, the InterFaith Council Community House, the only shelter that serves the needs of Orange County's homeless population, was not designed to accommodate families with children. There were no public or private single-room occupancy facilities in Orange County to provide transition for shelter residents. Substance abuse treatment was provided at only one halfway house for women, and no comparable facilities existed for men.
Orange County's only public housing consisted of the 336 units located in Chapel Hill. As of May 1, 1995, 22 of these units were vacant; 16 of them were located in the South Estes Drive development, which was scheduled for renovation. The majority of Chapel Hill's public housing units were two- and three-bedroom units.
The county's Section 8 program, administered by the Orange County Housing and Community Development Department, included 403 certificates, 101 vouchers, and 97 moderate rehabilitation units. The other 269 units of assisted housing included the following: 68 from Section 8 new construction, 81 from the Farmers Home 515 program, 94 from Section 236, and 26 from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development Loan Management Program.
The Consolidated Plan for Orange County identified the following barriers to affordable housing:
Orange County will consult with the local Human Rights and Relations Department to determine a method for conducting an analysis of impediments to fair housing choice.
According to the 1990 census, 22,653 very low- and low-income housing units in Orange County built between 1960 and 1979 were contaminated with lead-based paint. Of this number, 10,236 were rental units and 12,417 were owner occupied.
According to the Orange County Health Department, one case of lead-based paint poisoning has been reported in the county since 1993. In that case an investigation of the home was conducted, and abatement of the lead hazard was completed by the property owner. In addition, 492 children were screened in Orange County; 59 had elevated blood-lead levels. All children who receive medical treatment from the Well Child Clinic are tested for exposure to lead-based paint each year.
Evaluations of the prevalence of lead-based paint in housing units will be conducted through Orange County, and lead abatement will be prescribed for all dwellings targeted for rehabilitation. In addition, all assisted-housing tenants will be informed of the hazards of lead-based paint. The Orange County Health Department provides ongoing consultation to local housing staff.
Among special populations the 12-bed Freedom House was the only facility for women recovering from substance abuse. Although the AIDS Service Agency of Orange County identified 82 HIV-infected Orange County residents in 1989, the only adequate emergency medical facility for persons with HIV/AIDS in the county is University of North Carolina Hospital. A six-bed domiciliary care home was opened in 1995 by the AIDS Service Agency of Orange.
Orange County has identified the need for increased economic development
opportunities for low- and moderate-income citizens and revitalization of
businesses serving low-income neighborhoods in Chapel Hill.
The Consolidated Plan for Orange County identified the following housing priorities for 1995-2000:
The Consolidated Plan for Orange County identified the following community development priorities:
The Joint Orange Chatham Community Action Agency designed the county's anti-poverty strategy. This strategy seeks to establish and coordinate linkages between governmental and other social service programs to facilitate the effective delivery of services to low- income individuals. The strategy includes the right of lower income residents to do the following:
Through the Orange Community Housing Corporation, Orange County, Chapel Hill, Carrboro, and Hillsborough work in collaboration to implement the plan, as follows:
The Consolidated Plan for Orange County identified the following key projects:
MAP 2 depicts points of interest and low-moderate income areas.
MAP 3 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and minority concentration levels.
MAP 4 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, and unemployment levels.
MAP 5 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 6 is a map, sectioned by neighborhood, which depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects.
MAP 7 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within one of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 8 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded projects within another of the four neighborhoods indicated in MAP 6.
MAP 9 depicts points of interest, low-moderate income areas, unemployment levels, and proposed HUD funded project(s) from a street level vantage point; in addition, a table provides information about the project(s).
