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income families out of the home buying marker. Cabarrus County staff will <br />continue to support the efforts of Prosperity Unlimited, Habitat for Humanity, and <br />other housing nonprofit agencies in their quest to provide affordable housing <br />through housing production, loan modification, homebuyer education, and down <br />payment assistance. Staff will make referrals from the housing rehabilitation <br />programs to any client who appears to have mortgage problems or interest in <br />purchasing a home. <br />B. Fair Housing Awareness. Cabarrus County has had no fair housing complaints <br />to staff in fifteen years. This is indicative of one of two possible scenarios. Either <br />there are no violations of housing opportunity in this county or people are <br />unaware of their rights. It is more likely that fair housing violations go <br />unreported due to a lack of understanding or knowledge of the rights of protected <br />persons and families. Awareness in the private sector and by the average <br />individual is a crucial step in addressing this particular barrier. Cabarrus County <br />advertises Fair Housing through newspapers, radio stations, cable television, and <br />on information on its website. The staff also posts Fair Housing posters and <br />pamphlets in English and Spanish in libraries, government offices, and the <br />department of Human Services. Staff is promoting fair housing more actively due <br />to joint outreach projects with the Department of Human Services and Cabarrus <br />County 101 classes which are classes that teach citizens about county services. <br />Cabarrus County uses as many outreach tools as we can to spread fair housing <br />information. <br />C. Education for Homebuyers. Many families or individuals wishing to move into <br />homeownership are not informed regarding the process of purchasing a home. <br />Additionally, people new to homeownership may not have an understanding of <br />home maintenance and budgeting for maintenance and associated costs. <br />CHDO's, such as Prosperity Unlimited and Habitat for Humanity, have begun to <br />address this problem; however, there is much to do in the education of the public <br />regarding home buying and Fair Housing. Cabarrus County has provided <br />technical and financial support to Prosperity Unlimited and Habitat for Humanity <br />over the years which provides homebuyer education programs that include fair <br />housing information. Cabarrus County will continue to make referrals to these <br />educational programs in order to expand the public's knowledge about <br />homeownership. <br />D. Transportation Changes in housing growth patterns in recent years have lead <br />toward more suburban housing options, however, transportation from these areas <br />to employment and services may be a limiting factor for some families in <br />accessing this housing. Cabarrus County provides a van service for transportation <br />to elderly and disabled residents to required appointments and services. A TDD <br />number is used for accessibility to public services. The local Metropolitan <br />Planning Organization has expanded the local bus service which creates a wide <br />transportation network. Connections are made to Charlotte DOT and other <br />transportation networks. These connections increase housing choice through <br />providing adequate transportation to get to employment centers, services, and <br />medical care. Other methods of expanding transportation services are zoning and <br />planning regulations which encourage higher density development in areas where <br />341Page <br />Analysis of Impediments September 2015 <br />Attachment number 2 \n <br />F -6 Page 126 <br />