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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOC Assistance Policy for 2019 NCHFA-Funded Urgent Repair Program (approved 090319) ATTACHMENT 2 Orange County Assistance Policy For the 2019 Cycle of the NCHFA- Funded Urgent Repair Program What is the Urgent Repair Program ? Orange County has been awarded $ 80 , 000 by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency ( " NCHFA" ) under the 2019 cycle of the Urgent Repair Program ( " URP19 " ) . This program provides funds to assist very low and low - income households with special needs in addressing housing conditions which pose imminent threats to their life and /or safety or to provide accessibility modifications and other repairs necessary to prevent displacement of very low and low - income homeowners with special needs such as the frail , elderly and persons with disabilities . At least twelve ( 12 ) households will be assisted under Orange County' s URP19 Program . This Assistance Policy describes who is eligible to apply for assistance under URP19 , how applications for assistance will be rated and ranked , what the form of assistance is and how the repair/ modification process will be managed . The County has tried to design this URP19 project to be fair, open and consistent with the County' s approved application for funding and with NCHFA' s URP Program Guidelines . The funds provided by NCHFA come from the North Carolina Housing Trust Fund . Additional funds for construction costs are provided by Orange County in the amount of $ 40, 000 . Eligibility Requirements : To be eligible for assistance under URP19 applicants must meet the following requirements : 1 ) must reside within Orange County and own and occupy the home in need of repairs 2 ) must have a household income which does not exceed 50 % of the County median income for the household size ( see income limits below ) ; 3 ) must have a special need ( i . e . be 62 years old or older, handicapped or disabled , a single parent with a dependent child living at home , a Veteran , a large family with five ( 5 ) or more household members or a household with a child below the age of six ( 6 ) with an elevated blood lead level ( between 10g/ dl and 20g/ dl ) ) ; 4 ) must have urgent repair needs which cannot be met through other state or federally - funded housing assistance programs . URP19 Income Limits * for Orange County Number in 30 % of Median 50 % of Median Household (very- low income ) ( low income ) 1 $ 17 , 850 $ 29 , 700 2 $ 20, 400 $ 33 , 950 3 $ 22 , 950 $ 38 , 200 4 $ 25 , 450 $ 42 , 400 5 $ 27, 500 $ 45 , 800 6 $ 29 , 550 $ 49 , 200 7 $ 31, 600 $ 52, 600 8 $ 33 , 600 $ 56 , 000 * Income limits are subject to change based on annually published HUD HOME Limits and will be updated each year . This update will not require a re - approval by the governing authority . What Outreach Efforts will be Undertaken to Announce the Urgent Repair Program ? Orange County will advertise or publish an article about the Urgent Repair Program in the local English - speaking and Spanish - speaking newspapers serving the County ( The News of Orange and La Noticio ) and provide printed information about the program at the Passmore and Seymour Senior Centers ; Cedar Grove , Rogers Road and the Efland - Cheeks Community Centers , Orange County Home Preservation Coalition ; Orange County Affordable Housing Coalition ; Carrboro Town Hall , Chapel Hill Town Hall , Orange County DSS Office and on the County' s website . Selection of Applicants : The County has devised the following priority system to rank eligible applicants , determine which of them will be selected for assistance and in what order . Under this system , applicants will receive points for falling into certain categories of special need and income . The applications will be ranked according to which receive the most points . Priority Ranking System for Orange County' s URP19 Special Needs (for definitions, see below) Points Disabled , Elderly or Veteran Head of Household (62 or older) 4 Disabled , Elderly or Veteran Household Member (not Head of Household) 3 Single - Parent Household (with one or more minor children in the home) 3 Emergency (may submit without regard to application deadlines) 3 Large Family (5 or more permanent family members) 2 Elevated Blood Lead Level Child 2 Income (See Income Table above) Points 30 % or below County Area Median Income 10 31 % to 50 % of County Area Median Income 5 Under NCHFA Program Guidelines , a minimum of 50 % of households assisted must have incomes which are 30 % or less of the area median income for the household size , and no household with an income exceeding 50 % of the area median income will be eligible . This guideline will be adhered to strictly and will be the primary factor in the selection of those households to be assisted under URP19 . Recipients of assistance under the URP19 will be chosen by the above criteria without regard to race , color, religion , national origin , sex, familial status and disability . Note that in the likely case of applicants receiving identical scores , the application with the earlier submission date will be considered first . The Definitions of Special Needs Populations Under URP19 are : • Elderly : An individual age 62 or older . • Emergency : A situation in which a household member has an immediate threat of being evicted or removed from a home due to health or safety issues within a time frame that the program can complete a repair to stop eviction or removal . These applications will be received at any time during the funding cycle and evaluated on the ability of the program to complete Page 2 the work in a timely manner that meets the goal of assisting homeowners to remain in their home . • Disabled : A person who has a physical , mental or developmental disability that greatly limits one or more major life activities , has a record of such impairment, or is regarded as having such an impairment . • Large Family : A large family household is composed of five or more individuals ; at least four are immediate family members . • Head of Household: The person or persons who own ( s ) the house . • Household Member : Any individual who is an occupant ( defined below ) of the unit to be rehabilitated shall be considered a " household member" ( the number of household members will be used to determine household size and all household members are subject to income verification ) . • Occupant : An occupant is defined as any immediate family member ( mother, father, spouse , son / daughter of the head of the household , regardless of the time of occupancy ) ; or non . immediate family member who has resided in the dwelling at least three ( 3 ) months prior to the submission of the family' s application . • Single - Parent Household: A household in which one and only one adult resides with one or more dependent children . • Veteran : A person who served in the active military, naval or air service , and who was discharged or released therefrom under conditions other than dishonorable . • Child with elevated blood lead level : a child younger than the age of six ( 6 ) with an elevated blood lead level between 10µ g/ dl and 20µg/ dl . Client Referral and Support Services : Homeowners assisted through the Urgent Repair Program ( URP 2019 ) may also need other services . When the Urgent Repair Program staff meets the homeowner during the intake process , if needed , they will discuss the resources and programs available in the County and provide pamphlets and a list of the agencies with contact information . With the Homeowner ' s permission , any referrals to other agencies will be included in the Housing Case File . What is the Form of Assistance Under URP197 The County will provide assistance in the form of a forgiveable loan to homeowners whose homes are selected for repair/ modification . The unsecured , interest -free loan , will be forgiven at a rate of $ 2 , 000 per year until the principal balance is reduced to zero . As part of the application process , all applicants will be provided detailed information about these loans , and will be required to attest to receiving this information . What is the Amount of the Loan ? The amount of the loan will depend on the scope of work necessary to address the identified imminent threats to life and /or safety and that will be determined by the County' s Rehabilitation Specialist . There is no minimum to the amount of the loan ; however, the maximum life -time limit according to the guidelines of NCHFA' s URP19 Program is $ 10 , 000 . What are the Eligible Kinds of Repairs ? Only repairs that address imminent threats to the life and /or safety of occupants of the dwelling unit or accessibility modifications will be performed Page 3 under the County' s URP . Please understand that all deficiencies in a home will likely not be able to be repaired with the available funds . All work that is completed under URP19 must meet or exceed the NC Residential Building Code . Who will Conduct the Work on the Homes ? The County is obligated under URP19 to ensure that quality work is done at reasonable prices and that all work is contracted through a fair, open and competitive process . To meet these requirements , the County will invite bids only from Contractors who are part of an " approved Contractors ' registry" . Please request a copy of the County' s Procurement and Disbursement Policy for further information . ( Homeowners who know of quality Rehabilitation Contractors that are not on the County' s Approved Contractors Registry are welcome to invite them to apply and interested contractors should contact David Saconn , Rehabilitation Specialist . ) A minimum of three ( 3 ) approved contractors will be invited to bid on each job and the most responsive and responsible low bidder will be selected for the contract . " Responsive and responsible " is described in the Procurement and Disbursement Policy . What are the Steps in the Process, from Application to Completion ? Now that you have the information about how to qualify for the Orange County" s URP19 Program , what work can be done and who will do it, let' s go through all the major steps in the process : 1 . Completing an Application Form : Applications are available on the Orange County Website or at other locations as described in Section on Outreach Efforts above or by contacting Diane Beecham , Community Development Specialist at 919 - 2454358 or dbeecham@orangecountync . gov . Proof of ownership , occupancy and income will be required . Orange County will accept applications throughout the grant period , based on the availability of funds . In addition , the County maintains a Waiting List for its local Urgent Repair Program and applicants who qualify under the County' s local program may be considered for NCHFA' s FY19 Urgent Repair Program if they meet the program requirements . 2 . Preliminary Inspection : The County ' s Rehabilitation Specialist will visit the homes of all applicants to determine the need and feasibility of repairs/ modifications . The Rehabilitation Specialist will also make a second visit to the home in order to do a more thorough inspection . See Item 5 below . 3 . Screening of Applicants : Orange County will accept applications throughout the program grant period based on the availability of funds . Eligible households with emergency situations will be given priority over other applicants . After advertising for a 15 - day period , the first rating and ranking of applicants will take place on October 14, 2019 . The 2nd 15 - day advertising period will be scheduled for January 2020 . However, if the first advertisement and number of persons coming from the County' s Local Urgent Repair Applicant List yields at least twelve ( 12 ) eligible applicants and units to be addressed , no further advertisement will occur . Page 4 All rehabilitation work must be under contract by October 15 , 2020 . In addition , all rehabilitation work must be completed by December 31 , 2020 . Prior to entering into a contract with the County, the income , property ownership and property tax payment status of households to be assisted will be verified . Applicants may contact Diane Beecham , Community Development Specialist , at 919 - 2454358 or dbeecham@orangecountync . gov to confirm the disposition of their application . 4 . Applicant Briefings : Approved applicants will be provided detailed information on assistance , program repair/ modification standards and the contracting procedures associated with their project at this informational briefing . 5 . Development of the Work Write - Up : The County ' s Rehabilitation Specialists will visit the home again for a more thorough inspection . All parts of the home must be made accessible for this inspection , including the attic and crawlspace , if any . The homeowner should report any known problems such as electrical short circuits , blinking lights, roof leaks , etc . The Rehabilitation Specialist will prepare a complete and detailed set of work specifications ( " work write - up " ) . A final , confidential cost estimate will also be prepared by the Rehabilitation Specialist to be used to evaluate the submitted bids . If the needed repairs require that household furniture and other goods be stored , the Orange County URP19 Program may provide an onsite storage pod . However, the contractor will only be required to move furniture to the storage pod . The moving of any other household goods into the onsite storage will be the responsibility of the homeowner . 6 . Formal Agreement : After the review and approval of the work write - up , the homeowner will sign a formal agreement that will explain and govern the repair/ modification process and an explanation of the Promissory Note , which is considered a forgivable loan . This agreement will define the roles of the parties involved throughout the process . 7 . Bidding : The work write - up and bid documents will be sent to a minimum of three ( 3 ) contractors on the Approved Contractors ' Registry who will be given a minimum of one ( 1 ) week in which to inspect the property and prepare bid proposals . Note that the inspection of the property by the contractors is mandatory . The names of the invited contractors will be supplied to the homeowner . Each will need access to those areas of the house in which work is to be performed in order to prepare a bid . A bid opening will be conducted at the Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development at a specified date and time , with all bidders and the homeowner invited to attend . 8 . Contractor Selection : Within 48 hours of the bid opening and after review of bid breakdowns and timing factors , the winning bidder will be selected . All bidders and the homeowner will be notified of ( 1 ) the selection , ( 2 ) the amount, ( 3 ) any support or contingency costs that will be included in the loan amount and ( 4 ) if other than the lowest responsive and responsible bidder is selected , the specific reasons for the selection . 9 . Execution of Loan and Contract Documents : The loan will be executed , as well as the repair/ modification contract prior to work beginning on the project . This contract will be Page 5 between the contractor and homeowner, with Orange County as an interested third party . The cost of the actual work and project - related support costs up to the maximum amount of $ 1 , 000 will be included in the loan document . 10 . Pre - Construction Conference : A pre - construction meeting will be held immediately following the execution of loan and contract documents unless due to scheduling conflicts , prior arrangements have been made with the homeowner and contractor for another date and time . The meeting will be held at the offices of Orange County Housing and Community Development Department at 300 West Tryon Street, 3rd Floor of the Richard Whitted Building, Hillsborough , NC . At this time , the homeowner, contractor and applicable County program representatives will be present and discuss the details of the work to be done . Starting and ending dates will be agreed upon , along with any special arrangements such as weekend or evening work hours , storage of household furniture , if applicable and the disposition of items to be removed from the home ( such as old plumbing , etc . ) . If the contract has been executed , the County will issue a " Notice to Proceed Order " formally instructing the contractor to commence by the agreed upon date and time . 11 . Construction : The contractor will be responsible for obtaining any required building permits for the project before beginning work . The permit must be posted at the house during the entire period of construction . Program staff will closely monitor the Contractor during the construction period to make sure that the work is being done according to the work write - up ( which is made a part of the rehabilitation contract by reference ) and in a timely fashion . County Code Enforcement Officers , as applicable , will inspect new work for compliance with the State Building Code as required by the guidelines of URP19 . The homeowner will be responsible for working with the contractor toward protecting personal property by clearing work areas as much as practicable . 12 . Change Orders : All changes to the scope of work must be reduced to writing as a contract amendment ( " change order " ) and approved by all parties to the contract : the homeowner, the contractor and two representatives of Orange County . If the changes require an increase in the loan amount, a Loan Modification stating these changes in the contract amount must be completed by the County and executed by the homeowner . If the changes result in a decrease in the loan amount, an estoppel informing the homeowner of these changes in the contract amount will be completed by the County and conveyed to the Homeowner . 13 . Payments to the Contractor : The Contractor will be paid following inspection of and satisfactory completion of all items on the work write - up and change orders , if any, as outlined in the County' s Procurement and Disbursement Policy . All requests for payment by the contractor must be accompanied by an invoice detailing the items completed . 14 . Post - Construction Meeting : Following construction , the contractor and the Rehabilitation Specialist will sit down with the homeowner, again . At this meeting , the contractor will hand over all owner ' s manuals and warranties on equipment . The contractor and Rehabilitation Specialist will go over operating and maintenance requirements for any new equipment installed and discuss general maintenance of the home with the homeowner . The homeowner will have the opportunity to ask any final questions about the work and the loan . Page 6 15 . Closeout : Once each item outlined in the associated work write - up has been satisfied , the job is fully completed and the homeowner has signed a Certificate of Satisfaction , the job will be closed . What are Orange County' s Key Program Dates ? If, after reading this document, you feel that you qualify for this program and wish to apply, please keep the following dates in mind : • First advertisement of Orange County URP19 and applications available to the public starting September 23 , 2019 . • First deadline for applications to be returned to Orange County is October 9 , 2019 • First rating and ranking of applications will take place on October 14, 2019 . • 2nd advertisement period begins January 13 , 2020, if needed . • Second deadline for applications to be returned to Orange County is January 31 , 2020 , if needed . • Second rating and ranking of applications will take place on February 7 , 2020 , if needed . • All rehabilitation work must be under contract by October 15 , 2020 . • All rehabilitation work must be completed by December 31 , 2020 . How Do I Request an Application ? Contact : Diane Beecham , Community Development Specialist Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development P . O . Box 8181 300 W . Tryon Street Hillsborough , NC 27278 ( 919 ) 2454358 dbeecham@orangecountync . gov Interested persons may also pick up an application at the Orange County Department of Social Services , Orange County Health Department, Orange County Department of Aging , Chapel Hill Town Hall , Carrboro Town Hall , Rogers Road Community Center, Cedar Grove Community Center and the Efland - Cheeks Community Center . A copy of the application is also available on the County' s Website . Is There a Procedure for Dealing with Complaints, Disputes and Appeals ? Although the application process and repair/ modification guidelines are meant to be as fair as possible , Orange County realizes that there is still a chance that some applicants or participants may feel that they were not treated fairly or have complaints . The following procedures are designed to provide an avenue for resolution of complaints and appeals . During the application process : 1 . If an applicant feels that his/ her application was not fairly reviewed or rated and would like to appeal the decision made about it , he/she should contact the Community Development Specialist within five ( 5 ) days of the initial decision and voice their concern . If the applicant remains dissatisfied with the decision rendered after speaking with the Community Development Specialist , the detailed complaint and appeal should be put into writing and Page 7 submitted to the Director of Orange County' s Housing and Community Development Department within ten ( 10 ) business days of the initial decision at 300 West Tryon Street , 3rd Floor of the Richard Whitted Building, Hillsborough , NC 27278 . 2 . Orange County will respond in writing to any complaints or appeals within fifteen ( 15 ) business days of receiving the written complaint and appeal . During the repair/ modification process : 1 . If the homeowner feels that repairs or modifications are not being completed per the contract, he/she must inform the contractor and applicable Orange County' s Rehabilitation Specialist . 2 . The Rehabilitation Specialist will inspect the work in question . If it is found that the work is not being completed according to contract , the Rehabilitation Specialist will review the contract and work write - up with the contractor, again and ask the contractor to remedy the problem . 3 . If problems persist , a Mediation Conference between the homeowner and the contractor may be convened by the Rehabilitation Specialist and facilitated by the County ' s Housing and Community Development Director . 4 . Should the Mediation Conference fail to resolve the dispute , the Housing and Community Development Director will render a written final decision . 5 . If the Rehabilitation Specialist finds that the work is being completed according to the contract and work write - up , the complaint will be noted and the Rehabilitation Specialist and the homeowner will discuss the concern and the reason for the Rehabilitation Specialist ' s decision . Will the Personal Information Provided Remain Confidential ? Yes . All information in applicant files will remain confidential . Access to the information will be provided only to County employees who are directly involved in the program , the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency and auditors . What about Conflicts of Interest ? No officer, employee or other public official of the County, or member of the Board of County Commissioners , or entity contracting with the County that exercises any functions or responsibilities with respect to URP19 shall have any interest , direct or indirect, in any contract or subcontract for work to be performed with program funding, either for themselves or those with whom they have family or business ties , during their tenure or for one year thereafter . Relatives of County employees , Board of County Commissioners and others closely identified with the County may be approved for rehabilitation assistance only upon public disclosure before the County Commissioners and written permission from NCHFA . What about Favoritism ? All activities under URP19 , including rating and ranking applications , inviting bids , selecting contractors and resolving complaints , will be conducted in a fair, open and non - discriminatory manner, entirely without regard to race , color , religion , national origin , sex , familial status and disability . Who can I Contact about URP197 Any questions regarding any part of this application or program should be addressed to : Diane Beecham , Community Development Specialist Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development P . O . Box 8181/ 300 W . Tryon Street Page 8 Hillsborough , NC 27278 919 - 245 - 4358/dbeecham@orangecountync . gov The designated staff person above , as well as all staff in Orange County Is Housing and Community Development Department will do their utmost to answer questions and inquiries in the most efficient and correct manner possible . This Assi nce Policy is adopted this day of 2017 i Boa Chair Witness Page 9