HOME Program
The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) provides formula grants to states and localities, called Participating Jurisdictions, to fund a wide range of affordable housing activities including building, buying, and/or rehabilitating affordable housing for rent or ownership.
In Orange County, the HOME Participating Jurisdiction is a Consortium consisting of Orange County and the Towns of Carrboro, Chapel Hill, and Hillsborough, with the County acting as lead entity. In 2017, the Consortium was renamed the Orange County Local Government Affordable Housing Collaborative.
The Collaborative coordinates the funding process for the HOME program, accepts and reviews applications from local nonprofits, and presents recommendations to the elected bodies of each jurisdiction for funding approval. Past nonprofits that have received Orange County HOME funds have used HOME to:
- Provide down payment assistance to home buyers
- Acquire or develop affordable homes for rent or ownership
- Rehabilitate owner-occupied homes
- Provide tenant-based rental assistance
HUD has awarded Orange County about $375,000 in HOME for 2020.
The 2020 HOME Consolidated Planning Process
HOME Participating Jurisdictions are required to create a five-year plan, called the Consolidated Plan, that describes their affordable housing and community development needs and market conditions and outlines priorities and goals for addressing these needs with HOME funds and other resources.
In spring of 2020, the Collaborative will prepare the County’s Consolidated Plan for FY 2021 through FY 2025. Through this process, the Collaborative will engage community members and solicit public input to develop a shared vision for affordable housing preservation and development, and identify data-driven targets to guide investments of HOME funds.
To garner community engagement in the Plan, there will be numerous opportunities for public involvement through in-person meetings, surveys, webinars, and phone conferencing. For the most up-to-date information on opportunity for involvement in the planning process, visit the HOME Consolidated Plan page.
HOME Plans and Reports
- The 2019 Annual Action Plan (Draft) Report is the Orange County HOME Consortium’s annual plan for using HOME funds to address priority housing needs in the county.
- The 2018 Consolidated Annual Performance and Evaluation Report (CAPER) reports on the progress toward goals identified in the Annual Action Plan over the past year and how HOME fund have been expended.
HOME Applications for FY20-21 Program
Orange County’s HOME funding applications are accepted once a year and are reviewed by the Collaborative, who provide a recommended funding plan is reviewed for approval by each jurisdiction in the spring of every year.
Applications for the FY20-21 HOME program are due to the Orange County Department of Housing and Community Development by 4:00 PM on February 17, 2020. Click here to view the scorecard used to assess each application.