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HomeMy WebLinkAboutOTHER-2026-042-Discussion of Funding Request from Hope NC to Alliance Health to Support Acquisition of units at weaver grove for supportive housing for adults MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT BETWEEN ORANGE COUNTY AND ALLIANCE HEALTH FOR SUPPORT OF HOPE NC FOR THE ACQUISITION OF IDD SUPPORTIVE HOUSING UNITS AT THE WEAVER' S GROVE DEVELOPMENT THIS MEMORANDUM OF AGREEMENT (MOA) is made and entered into this 19"' day of May, 2026 , by and between the COUNTY OF ORANGE (hereinafter referred to as the " County") and ALLIANCE HEALTH, a political subdivision of the state of North Carolina and a Local Management Entity / Managed Care Organization (LME/MCO) as that terms defined in NCGS 122C-3 (hereinafter referred to as the "Alliance") . WITNESSETH0 WHEREAS , since December 1 , 2021 , Alliance has been the LME/MCO serving Orange County, managing Medicaid and behavioral health services for the uninsured individuals in the County . Alliance manages county4unded mental health , intellectual/developmental disabilities and substance use services (MHAI DD/SUS ) provided to residents of Orange County and other matters related to the provision of behavioral health services, and WHEREAS , the Alliance Board has agreed to commit funds received from the 2019 Cardinal Innovations transition for Orange County services to Alliance Health members ; and WHEREAS , Housing Options for People with Exceptional ities, Inc . (Hope NC), has requested funding to acquire property at the Weaver ' s Grove development in Chapel Hill , North Carolina for low- barrier, supportive housing (referred to herein as the "Development") ; and WHEREAS , The County and Alliance desire to provide funding to assist County residents and Alliance Health members to obtain affordable supportive housing in the Development . Specifically, this funding will allow for Hope NC to purchase four (4) townhomes that will provide supportive , affordable housing for eight ( 8 ) adults with Intellectual and Developmental Disabilities (IDD) . The housing program will be restricted to serving individuals at 30% Area Median Income (AMI) or below . The period of affordability will be for 30 years (the Affordability Period) . For additional information about the Hope NC housing program and the scope of services , please see Attachment 1 . NOW THEREFORE, for and in consideration of mutual covenants herein and the mutual benefits to result therefrom , the parties hereby agree as follows : 1 . TERM . This MOA will take effect on the 19'11 day of May, 2026 , and shall continue through expenditure of the funds pursuant to this MOA . 2 . SCOPE . The County has requested and Alliance agrees to provide funding to Hope NC for the acquisition of the Development in the amount of $ 100 , 000 from Alliance funds committed for Orange County services as a result of the 2019 Cardinal Innovations transition . Alliance agrees to contract with Hope NC and ensure that the following restrictions are in place related to the Development: 1 Beginning with the completion of Phase 1 , and continuing thereafter for a term of five years , Hope NC will strive to ensure a minimum of 50% of the 8 beds will be reserved for Orange County residents and eligibility for this supportive housing is limited to adults with IDD that earn at or below 30% AMI . No funding for vacancies shall be provided by either party . 3 . ENTIRE AGREEMENT : This MOA constitutes the entire agreement among the Parties as of the date hereof with respect to the funding subject matter hereof and cannot be amended or terminated orally . 4 . NO THIRD-PARTY BENEFICIARIES : This MOA is not intended for the benefit of any third party . The rights and obligations contained herein belong exclusively to the parties hereto and shall not confer any rights or remedies upon any person or entity other than the parties hereto . 5 . SEVERABILITY : The Parties agree that if any provision of this MOA , or portion thereof, shall be adjudged by any court of competent jurisdiction to be invalid or unenforceable for any reason, such determination shall be confined to the operation of the provision at issue and shall not affect or invalidate any other provision of this MOA, and such court shall be empowered to substitute , to the extent enforceable , a provision similar thereto or other provisions so as to provide to the fullest extent permitted by applicable law the benefits intended by such provisions . 6 . PARAGRAPH HEADINGS : Paragraph headings contained in this MOA are included for convenience only and do not define , limit, or describe the scope of intent of this Agreement or in any way affect this MOA . 7 . APPLICABLE LAW : This MOA shall be governed by and in accordance with the Laws of the State of North Carolina . All actions relating in any way to this Contract shall be brought in the General Court of Justice in the County of Orange and the State of North Carolina . 8 . EXECUTION : The Parties agree to execute all documents , instruments , or further assurances as may be necessary or required to effectuate and complete all transactions contemplated by this MOA . 9 . ASSIGNMENT : This MOA shall not be assigned , in whole or in part, without the prior written consent of the Parties . 10 . NOTICE : Any and all notices , designations , consents , offers , acceptances , or any other communications provided for herein shall be given in writing by registered or certified mail, return receipt requested , to the respective Parties at the addresses listed below, unless each party has notified the others of a different address by means of the notification formalities described in this paragraph . If to Alliance Health : Attention : Robert Robinson , CEO 5200 West Paramount Parkway Suite 200 Morrisville, North Carolina 27560 If to Orange County : Attention : Travis Myren , County Manager 300 West Tryon Street Hillsborough , NC 27278 2 15 . COMPLIANCE WITH LAWS : Alliance represents that it is in compliance with all Federal , State, and local laws, regulations or orders, as amended or supplemented . The implementation of this MOA shall be carried out in strict compliance with all Federal, State, and local laws . 16 . AUDIT RIGHTS : The Funds shall be used exclusively by Alliance to support Hope NC ' s purchase of the IDD supportive housing at Weaver ' s Grove . If requested by the County, Alliance must provide supporting documentation , including the Alliance funding contract with Hope NC . 17 . COUNTY NOT RESPONSIBLE FOR EXPENSES : County shall not be liable to Alliance for any expenses paid or incurred by Alliance or any of their sub-contractors, unless otherwise agreed in writing . [Remainder of page left Blank, Signatures to follow] 3 IN WITNESS WHEREOF , the parties hereto have caused this instrument to be signed on the day and year first above written , in their respective names by their proper officials by authority duly given by their respective governing bodies . COUNTY OF ORANGE Traw s Myren, Mana r Date ALLIANCE HEALTH Robert Robinson , CEO Date i i f s I i 3 i� E 4 ATTACHMENT I HOPE NC asks that Alliance Health join the NC Housing Finance Agency, the Town of Chapel Hill , and HOPE NC to acquire housing for adults with I/DD . This development project is innovative and creates a replicable model for housing the I/DD population ORGANIZATION AND PROJECT DETAILS Founded in 2018 by three dedicated families who have adult children with intellectual and developmental disabilities (I/DD) , HOPE NC is responding to a pressing challenge faced by many families : the concern over where their adult children with I/DD will live once their aging caregivers can no longer provide care . These families also share the desire for their loved ones to have the choice to live in their own homes with access to necessary support and services . HOPE NC ' s mission is to create and expand safe, affordable and supportive housing options for people with I/DD . Research confirms the importance of social connections leading to the creation of meaningful relationships, to help counteract poor physical and mental health conditions that are often a result of social isolation and loneliness . At both the national and state level, inclusive housing needs are increasingly acute as the I/DD population continues to grow and medical advancements deliver increased life expectancy for all populations . Housing that offers the support to enable adults with I/DD to live independently is in short supply . There are approximately 200 , 000 people with IDDI in NC and 75 % of those live with family members , and most often , one ' s parents2 . As these parents age, there is an increased need for housing options . The Weavers Grove community marks HOPE NC ' s first direct acquisition of units dedicated to adults with I/DD . This development builds on our proven success implementing our model at two affordable housing communities with partners in Durham and Raleigh . Over the past several years , rather than directly owning and operating units at these communities, HOPE NC focused on forging strong partnerships with the property owners and sustaining funds to support the onsite Community Facilitators , a key element to our " inclusive communities " model . Community Facilitators are onsite to support residents with disabilities and to facilitate connections to the natural supports of their immediate neighbors as well as to resources in the wider community . The adults with I/DD also receive supportive services through Alliance Health to address independent living skills needs and for employment and vocational support . The Community Facilitator will act as the liaison between the individual resident and the many different people needed to sustain tenancy and services, including the property manager, the Alliance case manager, the individual ' s parents or family members, and the Orange County Housing Department (which will provide project- based vouchers for the first phase and probably the second phase as well ) . HOPE NC is currently using the Community Facilitator model at two pilot locations serving 38 individuals with I/DD at communities in Raleigh and Durham . To date, the pilots have been very successful , allowing individuals with I/DD to safely and confidently live on their own . In many cases , these same individuals would not be able to do so without the support and success derived from our model , and the various services that our Community Facilitators provide . 5 The two current inclusive housing communities supported by HOPE NC are : North Street Community (Durham , NC ) — This is an integrative, intentional community of people with and without disabilities , designed to promote independent living and social integration . The site has 120 residents living in 18 different privately owned duplexes and triplexes , and 30 apartments are rented to adults with intellectual and developmental disabilities . Since January 2024 HOPE NC has employed an onsite Community Facilitator at North Street who is providing the residents support with their everyday needs ( such as managing their schedules ), resource connections and social engagement opportunities for the residents . Grosvenor Gardens ( Raleigh , NC ) — This is a historic apartment complex in downtown Raleigh , where CASA NC (affordable housing developer), Alliance Health , and HOPE NC are working to support individuals with I/DD to live independently . CASA NC owns the building with 58 apartments and is renting out 10 of the apartments to adults with I/DD . This project began in June 2024 and HOPE NC is currently providing 8 residents with I/DD community integration opportunities , resource referrals and tenancy support . In 2024 , HOPE NC received a grant from the Triangle Community Foundation to support hiring an evaluation consultant to create a developmental evaluation of our Community Facilitator role as we implemented it in January 2024 at the North Street community . Both qualitative and quantitative data were compiled from surveys and interviews of the North Street residents at the beginning of the year and then also again in January 2025 . Evaluation results showed a significant increase in positive social connections, well - being and community connectedness for the residents with and without intellectual disabilities because of the community facilitator role . We are now utilizing this evaluation protocol in our community in Raleigh and will also use it in the community we are developing at Weavers Grove . t HOPE NC will engage a locally based property manager with strong experience managing properties ` similar to HOPE NC at Weavers Grove , both in size and population . EMPOWERment Inc . has 25 + years of experience operating supportive and affordable housing for low- income residents in the Triangle area, i with a proven record in maintaining compliance and tenant satisfaction . In addition, HOPE NC has engaged a Housing Development Consultant who has 20+ years of experience working to finance affordable housing projects . This project will be delivered in two phases over two years . Construction completion is expected as follows : Phase 1 : 4 2 - bedroom units in March 2026 Phase 2 : 2 2 - bedroom units and 5 1 - bedroom units in early 2028 j The Weavers Grove project will further HOPE NC ' s mission by : ® Pioneering a replicable model where supportive service providers partner with housing developers to acquire units of new construction within a larger complex . Facilitates the integration of adults with I/DD within a larger housing community ® Enables HOPE NC to focus on the delivery of supportive services , while their partner oversees the complex construction process 6 ® Addressing an acute need for housing for adults with I/DD by providing a model that can be replicated statewide ® Enabling HOPE NC to own the units directly, allowing for more control and effectiveness of the service coordination ® Housing adults with I/DD at income levels of 30% AMI and below and therefore increasing the housing stock for individuals with I/DD , which is a population that experiences significant deficiencies when it comes to affordable housing units . The majority of individuals with I/DD have SSI as their main income source which is currently around 20% of AMI . 7 3((E iiI ti t i !I [{1 i {f E €� 3 6 E