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Board hears housing-program update: EHAP, tax relief, emergency fund, outreach and partnerships
Summary
Jason Smith and partners briefed commissioners on EHAP (up to $2,000 per household, 12-month reapply rule), a new $200,000 tax relief fund ($500 direct payment), a boosted Emergency Housing Fund ($125,000 for FY26), and partnerships with Salvation Army and Love Chatham to deliver services and transitional housing.
Jason Smith presented a comprehensive update on Chatham County housing programs, focusing on operational details, partner roles and recent usage figures. On EHAP, Smith said the county offers direct payment to landlords with a $2,000 cap and a 12-month reapplication waiting period; "During the year ending in July, we assisted 98 families... we spent $146,000 to assist those families," he said. Smith emphasized EHAP is a stabilization tool, not ongoing support.
Smith described a new tax relief program funded at $200,000 that provides a $500 direct payment to eligible residents; he said 95 families had received that payment since the program launched in the spring. He also summarized the Emergency Housing Fund (previously $100,000) and said he increased it to $125,000 for the coming year to account for rising energy costs and reduced DSS energy funding; the fund contracts with nonprofits (Love Chatham and Salvation Army) to provide end-user services including rent, utility assistance, transportation and sheltering during extreme cold (white-flag sheltering).
Rebecca Summer Peterson of the Salvation Army (speaker 4) described service delivery and a new long-term Pathway to Success program for chronically housing-insecure individuals that provides case management for six months to two years. "One of the most important things for me is service to human needs without discrimination," Peterson said, adding Salvation Army provides emergency financial assistance and partners closely with county programs.
Commissioners asked about hotel-stay costs and long-term strategy for housing placements; Smith and partners said hotel stays are used sparingly as short-term bridges (estimates ranged from about $550/week for Siler City hotels to higher rates elsewhere) and that the county is pursuing increased transitional housing capacity and a data dashboard to track service delivery and outcomes. Smith said the Housing Collective convenes partners weekly and will present a data dashboard at next month’s meeting.
