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 low and moderate-income persons and those living in slum and blighted 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.

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.

Public Hearings Information

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. Final CDBG-DR Action Plan and its Executive Summary can be accessed HERE.

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). Both notices can be viewed HERE. 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. Additional information pertaining to the public hearing will be posted below.

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.

Community Participation Tools

In developing its CDBG-DR Action Plan, Orange County solicited input from local jurisdictions, public housing authorities, advocacy groups and community partners, as well as citizens, to help determine the remaining long-term resiliency needs and the most critical disaster mitigation needs.

A total of thirteen (13) community meetings were held in each of the six 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. Below are the summaries of the meetings organized by dates and locations.

When and Where