×

Grant covers repairs, renovations in Salem , East Liverpool

SALEM — A two-year grant through the Community Housing Impact and Preservation Program (CHIP) will allow qualifying lower-income homeowners in the cities of Salem and East Liverpool to make emergency repairs or fix problems to bring their homes up to code.

The two cities partnered to apply for the Fiscal Year 2018 grant funds, with $600,000 awarded in the fall. The cities of Salem and East Liverpool each have $300,000 for their programs, which are administered by Hall Community Development of North Canton. All work must be completed by Oct. 31, 2020.

“Hall Community Development is looking forward to working with the communities of Salem and East Liverpool in the administration of this grant. We look forward to working with the citizens,” owner Ted Hall said during a recent interview.

Whether the homeowner needs a roof or furnace repair or a plumbing or electrical rehab, they can apply for help through the program by contacting Hall Community Development at 330-499-8266 or picking up an application at the mayor’s office.

The 2016 CHIP grant resulted in 18 home repairs (nine in Salem and nine in East Liverpool) and 10 rehabs (five in Salem and five in East Liverpool). The new grant is expected to cover 10 rehabs for private owner occupied properties (five in Salem and five in East Liverpool) and 14 home repairs (seven in Salem and seven in East Liverpool), along with providing $20,000 in matching funds for a Habitat for Humanity home in Columbiana County (matched with $80,000 from Mahoning Valley Habitat for Humanity, which covers the county) and providing Fair Housing technical assistance to the Columbiana County Community and Economic Development Department for Salem and East Liverpool.

New for the grant is a program for rental unit home repair, requiring participation in the project by the landlord with funding. The program is limited to two units, one in Salem and one in East Liverpool.

For the private home repair program, Hall explained it’s a direct grant to cover one or two emergency repair needs, such as a furnace or hot water heater or roof, limited to a maximum of $8,000.

For the private owner occupied property rehabilitation program, a full evaluation/inspection of the home is completed to determine what’s needed to bring the home up to residential rehabilitation standards. The assessment includes a lead assessment and the rehab can involve correcting structural, heating, electrical or plumbing issues, with assistance in the form of a deferred loan.

As an example, he said there could be a rehab for $35,000 and a lien for that amount would be placed on the home for five years, with the amount of principal owed decreased each year by 16 percent until only a 20 percent lien remains after five years. That lien remains until the house is sold or transferred, then has to be paid, meaning 80 percent of the deferred loan is forgiven after the five years.

“The objective of this is to not only provide safety for homeowners but also improve neighborhoods,” Hall said.

The application process is very detailed, but Hall Community Development provides applicants with a checklist of what to exprect from the program, with three to four visits to the home during the project administration process, not including the actual rehab or repair work. To qualify, homes must be within the Salem or East Liverpool city limits and must be owner occupied.

Eligibility depends on gross annual income of the household based on the number of people in the household. For example, a family of four is limited to a maximum gross annual income of $49,100. For a one-person household, the maximum gross annual income is $34,400.

All questions can be directed to Hall’s wife, Rebecca, who has worked with the cities of Salem and East Liverpool the past 26 years in the administration of the housing grants. She previously worked for Bleckman & Associates. Ted Hall is the project manager in the field.

mgreier@salemnews.net

NEWSLETTER

Today's breaking news and more in your inbox

I'm interested in (please check all that apply)
Are you a paying subscriber to the newspaper? *
   

Starting at $4.39/week.

Subscribe Today