While housing is a top issue in Orange County, it’s often referenced to meeting the demands in a limited market. But it’s also a top issue regarding low-income housing for community members in and out of homelessness.
To gauge interest and start a dialogue among residents, the Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness held a town hall the afternoon of Sep. 11. And the event saw a significant amount of support. People crowded into a meeting room of Carrboro’s Drakeford Library Complex – so many, in fact, that organizers had to stop letting folks in out of concern for violating the fire code. Attendees wanted to be on hand to hear the presentation from experts on the data around Orange County’s homeless population and connect with others who have their own approaches to finding long-term solutions.
The Orange County Partnership to End Homelessness was started by Orange County’s four local governments to serve as a coalition to provide support for anyone seeking shelter or experiencing housing insecurity in the area. As Homeless Programs Manager Danielle DeCaprio also described it, that means the Partnership is the Continuum of Care for Orange County: funding different resources, promoting access to programs and helping unhoused people build self-sufficiency to maintain consistent shelter.
According to data tracked by the NC Coalition to End Homelessness, that local unhoused population was more than 1,300 people in 2024 Project Director Andrea Carey presented details to the group and said that number is by the federal definition of homeless, which includes people staying in dedicated shelters, on the street or in vehicles. Carey also pointed to the population’s age demographics skewing toward middle-aged and disproportionately identifying as Black African American compared to Orange County’s total racial makeup…