HCS wins NAHRO awards 

HOUSING and COMMUNITY SERVICES AGENCY

FOR IMMEDIATE RELEASE: PR 03:03 PR CONTACT: Ken Domer 714.480.2990 June 11, 2003

COUNTY HOUSING PROGRAMS RECEIVE NATIONAL AWARDS

NATIONAL ASSOCIATION OF HOUSING AND REDEVELOPMENT OFFICIALS RECOGNIZE H&CD FOR PROGRAM INNOVATIONS

(Santa Ana, CA) - The County of Orange Housing and Community Development Department (H&CD) is the recipient of three National Association of Housing and Redevelopment Officials (NAHRO) Merit Awards for Program Innovation in Affordable Housing, Community Revitalization, and Resident and Client Services. The Awards, which recognize outstanding achievement in housing and community development programs throughout the nation, will be presented at NAHRO's annual convention in Florida in July 2003.

H&CD will receive a merit award for Affordable Housing for its 2002 Notice of Funding Availability (NOFA) process which funds the development of affordable housing. Since the 2000, H&CD, through Board of Supervisor approval, has approved funding for the creation of nearly 1,500 new affordable rental units for low-income families, seniors, and persons with special needs, many in partnership with cities.

By timing its approval process to coincide with the needs of the development community, H&CD paved the way for developers needing local funding commitments to increase their competitiveness for tax credits, bonds and other sources of financing. This enabled the County to leverage $20,414,522 million in H&CD funding to create $226,626,010 in total construction activity. Through this process H&CD has become a regional housing finance agency, partnering with any city in Orange County to assist development and provide information. H&CD was awarded a Fair Housing Leadership Award in April 2003 by the Fair Housing Council of Orange County for the 2002 NOFA process.

"With innovative ideas to create and preserve affordable housing, the County of Orange, through H&CD, has continued to increase affordable housing opportunities for Orange County residents," stated Supervisor Tom Wilson, Chairman of the Board of Supervisors. "This is quite significant in these economic times of State and local budgetary crises."

H&CD will receive a merit award in Community Revitalization for its rehabilitation efforts in a West Anaheim neighborhood at the Ball Road and Perdido Street interchange. Two corner homes at the gateway to the community were rehabilitated under the revamped Neighborhood Preservation Program (NPP) that makes low interest loans and/or grants available to low-income homeowners in target areas of the County. The purpose is to help revitalize and enhance the community in addition to providing needed improvements for individual families.

Digitally enhanced photos were used to highlight possible improvements in presenting the program to the community. A consistent landscape theme was used promoting durable, evergreen, and conservation minded plantings. New products and services such as dual glazed windows to conserve energy, automatic sprinklers with timers for water conservation and better maintenance, and vinyl fencing that is easy to clean, durable, and helps eliminate graffiti problems were other innovations. Two new booklets for homeowner education about the program and how to maintain the improvements are other important elements of the NPP program.

The third NAHRO merit award, for Program Innovation in Resident and Client Services, will be presented for the Landlord Recruitment strategy designed to encourage landlords to offer properties to low-income renters participating in the Orange County Housing Authority (OCHA) Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher Rental Assistance Program. The plan has four components: (1) publishing a landlord newsletter, (2) information conferences for property owners and managers, (3) creation of a "landlord hotline", and (4) additional opportunistic marketing and public relations activities. These combined efforts resulted in a 30% increase in the number of units placed on OCHA's vacancy referral listing. This, in turn, has increased housing opportunities, as demonstrated by a consistent 80% success rate for households receiving Vouchers and OCHA's overall 100% lease-up rate.

"H&CD has become a leader in regional housing and community development," stated Paula Burrier-Lund, Director of H&CD. "It is our aim to continue to develop and offer award winning programs to the residents of Orange County."

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