Community Engagement
Orange County's Citizen Participation Plan establishes procedures and standards for citizen
participation that Orange County must follow to be in compliance with the U.S. Department of
Housing and Urban Development's rule 24 CFR 91.105. All Orange County citizens, in particular
resource-limited and income-qualified communities and those living in affected areas, are encouraged to
participate in the planning, implementation and assessment of the federally-funded housing and
community development programs.
The Citizen Participation Plan was updated on November 28, 2023
to include requirements associated with implementation of the CDBG-DR Program. Additionally, the
County's Language Access Plan describes access to information on available programs and
activities for individuals with Limited English Proficiency.
An Addendum to the approved
Language Access Plan provides additional specifics as they relate to the implementation of
federal programs administered by the Orange County Housing and Community Development Division.
Community Participation Tools
Orange County values citizen and stakeholder involvement and is committed to helping its residents in long-term recovery efforts associated with Hurricane Ian. The County will focus its outreach efforts on facilitating participation from resource-limited and income-qualified communities, community partners, nonprofits, and advocacy groups in affected areas, ensuring that those most impacted are able to access information about the program and potential assistance once the program implementation begins.
As part of the community engagement and outreach process, and in compliance with requirements of the Federal Register notice, Orange County will utilize this webpage (www.ocfl.net/CDBG-DR), and email address (Disaster.Recovery@ocfl.net), digital and printed program materials, and circulated social media content to inform community members and leaders about the CDBG-DR allocation and eligible uses of funding. Sign up for the monthly newsletter HERE.
In accordance with the updated Orange County Citizen Participation Plan, the County will post information regarding public hearings on its website. Public Hearings are an opportunity for citizens to submit comments orally or in writing about proposed activities. The Citizen Participation Plan provides at least 30 days for citizen comment and ongoing citizen access to information about the use of grant funds.
Updates on future public hearings and meetings will be listed here.
Past Community Participation
Community Participation - 2023
Before submission to HUD, a draft of the Action Plan and its Executive Summary were posted on this website for a required 30-day public comment period. Additionally, Orange County hosted a Public Hearing where members of the public were invited to provide comments and feedback to be used in finalizing the document.
Members of the public had an opportunity to review and comment on the draft CDBG-DR Action Plan from Monday, December 11, 2023, to Thursday, January 11, 2024. Public Notices announcing the start of the public comment period were published on December 7 (Spanish) and December 10, 2023 (English). The Board of County Commissioners (BCC) had a work session on the CDBG-DR Program and associated action planning process on December 12, 2023. The Board held a public hearing on the Action Plan on January 9, 2024. Public comments received during the 30-day comment period and at the BCC public hearing, as well as staff responses to the comments received, are summarized HERE.
Citizen Participation Survey
The Citizen Participation Survey, which was open from September 25 to November 10, 2023, solicited input from Orange County residents in helping to determine unmet long-term resiliency and critical disaster mitigation needs related to Hurricane Ian. This survey was available in English, Spanish and Creole languages. A summary of the survey results can be found HERE.
Community Meetings - 2023
A total of thirteen (13) community meetings were held in each of the six (6) County commission districts to solicit input from the residents in the affected areas regarding unmet needs related to the disaster, and their priorities and preferences in allocation of CDBG-DR funds. Summaries of the meetings are available HERE.