Low-income families can get home improvement grants
The Tennessee Housing Development Agency HOME Rehabilitation grants have now been officially funded in McMinnville and Warren County, and will be made available to low-income city and county residents who need improvements to their current homes.
The Upper Cumberland Development District will be administering the grants, which are designed to provide safe and sanitary living for low-income homeowners.
The grants will provide funding for rehabilitation, or, in some cases, rebuilding of homes for families or individuals who qualify. The city of McMinnville has been awarded $250,000 and the county $500,000 in grant money to fund these projects. The county funds will cover everything outside the city limits.
Applications will be accepted from Aug. 7 to Sept. 7, and will be available at the offices of County Executive John Pelham and McMinnville Mayor Royce Davenport.
The UCDD will be holding a meeting this Tuesday, Aug. 7, at 6 p.m. in the Magnolia Room of the County Administrative Offices to offer assistance for local residents to sign up for these grants and provide information on the requirements and regulations, including income levels, needed to qualify for the grants.
Another meeting running from 11 a.m. to 1 p.m. will be scheduled and announced within that period to serve families who work on second or third shift, according to officials.
The income limits range from $26,150 for a one-person residence, up to $49,300 for an eight-person household.
Some of the qualifications include:
‘ Must qualify as low income based on family size
‘ Must own their home or have interest in the property, such as a 99-year lease
‘ Must have owned the home for over a year
‘ Provide proof of ownership
‘ Provide a copy of paid property taxes
‘ Provide copy of proof of insurance or documentation showing they have been denied insurance.
Two types of liens are available for the program. If the home can be repaired and brought up to specifications, then a home rehabilitation grant will be awarded. These are five-year liens with 20 percent of the funds forgiven for each year the family resides in the home. Should the owners sell the home before the five years are up, they will be responsible for the balance of the lien.
If the home is beyond repair and must be torn down and replaced, then a 15-year lien will be required, with a little over 6.6 percent of the grant amount forgiven per year. As with the rehabilitation grant, if the family sells the home before the 15 years are up, they will be responsible for the balance of the lien.
Rehabilitation type grants can include up to $25,000, with somewhat more in special cases. In the case of a rebuild, the amount will be governed by the size of the project. For example, a grant for a new two-bedroom home could amount to around $65,000, with the home being comparable to the size of the owner’s current residence.
After the application period is over and all applications have been submitted, an environmental review will have to be completed on all the properties involved. This usually takes around three to four months to complete. Once this is done, the repairs or rebuilding will be put out for bids. Funds will come through the city or the county and the funds will go directly to the contractor. Priority will be set by greatest need, with the households most in need of repairs coming first.
For more information, contact UCDD at 931-432-4111 and ask for Andy Meadows or Michelle Price.