Program offers grants to help eligible families pay for critical home repairs
By JOHN SHUMWAY
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PITTSBURGH (KDKA) — As winter winds down, attentions turn to those who desperately need home repair projects. If money is tight to make those critical repairs, what is the solution?
There is money on the way to help, from the American Recovery Program.
If the problems with a home rise to the level of making it unsafe, this program may be able to help, and the money is a grant, not a loan.
Action Housing is handling the American Recovery Program for Allegheny County and Dan Sullivan of Action Housing with Allegheny County says they’re looking for the worst, which include severe roof damage, and a lot of siding and foundation issues.
“It is targeted for low-income families, to do severe habitability issues,” said Sullivan.
There is a limit per home and it’s $50,000, according to Sullivan.
“We have enough money through the state at $12.9 million to do approximately 150-to-250 homes,” he added.
They are laser-focused on helping with situations that are going to force a homeowner to leave their house, or something that’s causing a health concern.
Whether someone is eligible depends on the total household income and how many people, including children, are in the home. The work won’t happen quickly.
“Because we have to do an income eligibility, and then we have to do a scope on the house to determine the habitability issues,” said Sullivan.
Action Housing keeps control of the project, choosing who does the work from a list of approved contractors. While people can’t apply yet, Sullivan says to check their website every couple of weeks for updates. They hope to be in full swing by May.
Sullivan expects 2,000 applicants, but he points out there are other programs in the county and Pittsburgh, and they may be able to help connect folks to a different program that can help.
If someone lives outside of Allegheny County, it’s offered in other counties as well.
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