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.
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.
Monthly Newsletters
Orange County releases monthly newsletters containing the latest CDBG-DR program updates on the
last calendar day of each month. Sign up for the monthly newsletter
HERE.
Past newsletters can be found below:
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.