The Orange County Minor Repair Grant Program provides rehabilitation grants to homeowners for emergency repair of their homes. The homeowner must reside in the home, be able to provide proof of ownership, and meet the income and family-size criteria of the program.

All requests for assistance are handled on a first-come first-serve basis. However, priority will be given in the following order if needed repairs fall into the following categories:

• Major code violations
• Minor code violations
• The appearance of deteriorating conditions

All repairs provided under this program will be completed by a subcontractor and will be covered by a one-year guarantee period, with the exception of a roof repair which has a three-year guarantee.

The Orange County Total Rehabilitation Program provides substantial repairs to correct code violations found in a homeowner's dwelling unit. In order to be eligible for assistance, the homeowner must meet the following criteria:

• The homeowner must own the dwelling unit to be rehabilitated.
• The homeowner must have resided in the dwelling unit at least one year prior to applying for assistance.
• The homeowner must live in unincorporated Orange County or reside in a city that has a cooperation agreement with Orange County for the purpose of Community Development.
• The homeowner must meet the income and family-size criteria of the program.

All requests for assistance are handled on a first-come first-serve basis.

The Orange County Mobile Home Repair Program provides assistance to owners with repairing their mobile homes. This program not only provides assistance to mobile homeowners who may not have the means to make the necessary repairs otherwise, but also helps to improve overall neighborhood conditions.

In order to be eligible for assistance under the program, the following criteria must be met:

• The mobile home must be located in Orange County.
• The owner must meet the program income and family-size criteria.
• The mobile home unit must be located on a permanent foundation and the owner of the mobile home must also be the owner of the land on which the mobile home is permanently affixed.
• The mobile home unit must be taxable as real property having a "real property" sticker. Units having a "motor home" tag or a vehicle licensing are ineligible.
• The mobile home unit must be designed for use as a permanent residence.
• The utility hookups must be permanent.
• The mobile home's mobile apparatus must be removed.
• The mobile home unit must meet the Section 8 housing quality standard for manufactured homes.
• The mobile home unit must be financially feasible for repairs as determined by the Housing Rehabilitation staff.

As our community struggle with rising energy costs, our low-income customers will continue to feel the initial impact. For many the changing seasons present an energy burden that is alleviated through services provided by the Weatherization Program. These services have resulted in lower utility bills and have created a more comfortable, energy efficient living environment for our low-income customers.

The success of Paint the Town depends greatly upon the support of community businesses, organizations and citizens. Your assistance will help improve the appearance of Orange County's communities, promote community spirit and restore citizens' pride in their neighborhoods.

Paint the Town is a collaborative effort involving Orange County Government, volunteer groups, local businesses and citizens to clean-up, paint and revitalize low-income communities of Orange County.

The project, launched in 1996 has since expanded into a sizable community effort. To date, nearly 200 homes have been painted in Orange County communities with the help of such partners as the Catholic Heart Workcamp, Lockheed Martin, and Lowe's Home Improvement.

Paint the Town communities are selected based on history of neglect and need for social and physical revitalization. Homes within the communities are selected according to levels of physical distress and individual requests.

For additional information about the Minor Repair Grant Program, the Total Rehabilitation Program, the Mobile Home Repair Program, or the Weatherization Program please contact the Housing Rehabilitation Section at (407) 836-5181.

For additional information about Paint the Town, please contact (407) 836-5181