HomeMy WebLinkAboutAgenda 06-17-2025; 12-4 - Information Item - Memorandum - Update on Manager’s Work Group to Address Low-Barrier Housing Needs and Opportunities ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
MEMORANDUM
TO: Board of County Commissioners
FROM: Travis Myren
Cait Fenhagen
DATE: June 3, 2025
SUBJECT: Update on Manager's Work Group to Address Low-Barrier Housing Needs and Opportunities
In December 2024,the County Manager informed the Board of the formation of a Work Group to
address low-barrier housing needs and opportunities in Orange County. Low-barrier housing is
affordable, accessible housing that supports individuals with significant barriers to housing such as those
who are returning from incarceration, people impacted by criminal justice involvement, individuals who
are unsheltered and individuals facing behavioral health issues who need supportive services to
maintain housing.This type of housing includes, but is not limited to, bridge housing, reentry housing,
permanent supportive housing,transitional housing and permanent homes.
Orange County's Strategic Plan demonstrates the County's commitment to low-barrier housing:
Priority 2: Healthy Community Increase equitable access to care and social safety net programming to
promote the physical, social, and mental well-being of our community.
Objective 1. Improve harm reduction, prevention, and therapeutic interventions for adults and children
experiencing behavioral health issues, substance use disorder, and intellectual or developmental
disability.
Objective 3. Provide protective services for our most vulnerable community members with practices
and resources that support reducing risk factors, ensuring safety, and achieving permanency.
Objective S. Provide deflection, diversion, therapeutic interventions, and re-entry support, including
housing for justice-involved children and adults.
Priority 3: Housing for All Promote equitable and accessible housing and address housing disparities
through policies, partnerships, and collaboration to create a thriving community.
Objective 1. Use regular federal and local funds to build and/or acquire new affordable housing.
Objective 2. Address the need and any policy barriers to increase access to emergency shelter beds and
other low-barrier housing, including eviction diversion.
Objective 3. Invest in permanent supportive housing and help residents achieve housing stability.
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ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
Objective 4. Prioritize and select County-owned land and/or facilities, including the Greene Tract, as part
of an overall plan of facilities to create crisis, bridge, low barrier, affordable, and permanent housing.
The goal of the Work Group is to identify and recommend immediate and long-range options and
collaborations for developing evidence-based, low-barrier housing programs and accessible housing.The
Work Group agreed to provide quarterly updates and address immediate opportunities as they arise.
The Work Group will provide a final report in January 2026.
The focused work group convened in January by the Manager includes the following representatives:
Blake Rosser, Orange County Housing Director
Danielle Decaprio, Orange County Homeless Programs Manager
Ben Gear, Orange County Local Reentry Council Coordinator
Cy Stober, Orange County Planning and Inspections Director
Paul Slack, Orange County Office of Civil Rights and Civic Life Director
Caitlin Fenhagen, Orange County Deputy Manager
Henry ("Tommy") Green, Orange County Community Health Worker, FIT Program
Ann Oshel, Alliance Health Senior V.P. for Community Health and Well-Being
Sarah Vinas, Chapel Hill Affordable Housing and Community Connections Director
Ann-Marie Vanaman, Carrboro Housing and Community Services Director
Matt Efird, Hillsborough Assistant Town Manager and Community Services Director
Prior to the Work Group's first meeting,the County and Alliance Health hosted a community forum on
January 25th to hear from residents, providers and stakeholders, particularly people with lived
experience of housing barriers. The well-attended forum included a panel discussion on models of low-
barrier housing moderated by Housing Director Blake Rosser and facilitated break-out tables to ensure
community input on issues including the priority populations to be served, critical supports necessary
for housing success, innovative programs and providers and measuring success. All attendees were
offered a Survey to submit with their additional input.The feedback consistently indicated strong
support in the community for providing housing options for vulnerable populations with housing
barriers.
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ORANGE COUNTY
NORTH CAROLINA
Beginning in February, the Work Group has met monthly with the Manager.There have been four 90-
minute meetings with very good attendance from the members.These meetings have involved
presentations from experts in the field of low-barrier housing, including Everett McElveen, CASA's CEO,
and Emila Sutton,the City of Raleigh's Housing and Neighborhoods Director. Sutton and McElveen
shared examples of low-barrier housing efforts in Wake and Durham Counties and emphasized that
permanent housing with supportive services, both single-site and scattered, has the most promise for
long-term success.
In addition,there has been group discussion about potential properties and land in Orange County that
could present opportunities for low-barrier housing. These opportunities include a 12-acre forfeiture
property in Cedar Grove now owned by Orange County,two former group homes in Carrboro that are
vacant and under HUD designation, units at CASA Orange County properties that could serve low-barrier
needs as well as land owned by churches that are interested in providing affordable housing.There is an
exciting opportunity the Work Group has discussed to work with the Town of Chapel Hill's Master
Leasing Program,which previously had been operating under the Community Home Trust(CHT), but was
not serving low-barrier individuals. CHT is no longer administering the program, but Chapel Hill has
available funding for it to continue and expand to serve low-barrier individuals if a new property
manager and supports can be identified. Finally, Orange County has identified land banking funds in the
CIP that could be available for capital needs such as purchasing, construction or renovations for low-
barrier housing needs.
The Work Group will continue to discuss, meet and pursue all short-term and long-term low-barrier
housing opportunities. As recommendations for action are developed, they will be forwarded to the
Manager.The Manager looks forward to updating the Commissioners on the progress of this work group
in the months ahead. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any questions or concerns.
300 W.Tryon Street, Hillsborough, NC 27278 1 www.orangecountync.gov 1 919.732.8181