Greene County to continue helping residents with federal funds

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Since 2011, Greene County has helped about 80 households with rehab or repair work with this grant. The county has provided more than $3.2 million in CHIP funding to Greene County residences from 2011 to today, Tidd said.

The county development department applies for the grant funding, the state awards it to the county and then the county is able to disperse the funds as needed. Fairborn residents cannot apply for these funds through the county because Fairborn gets CHIP funds directly from the federal government.

These funds are available on a first come first served basis. This is a competitive grant that the county is able to apply for every other year. Tidd said the county will apply for two pots of money, one that covers repairs and one that covers rehab projects. Rehabilitation funds are available to help fix health or safety issues. Repair funds are able to address one or two issues.

There are nearly $19 million federally to be dispersed for both of these programs.

Those applying need to be income eligible. For a household of one applying for the repair funds, the person can’t make more than $25,500. For the rehab funds, the person can’t make more than $40,800.

“This program is improving the affordable housing stock for low and moderate income Ohioans. And strengthening neighborhoods through community collaboration,” Tidd said.

Some other qualifying factors include an individual owning their home and being current or working to become current on their property taxes. They can have a mortgage, but can’t have a second mortgage on the property, Tidd said. Homeowners also need to have homeowners insurance or be able to get it.

Once a Greene County resident applies, the county will send an inspector out to inspect the home to see if it will fit the program. Tidd said the county has had to walk away from some homes that were in such disrepair it wouldn’t have been able to be brought up to code with the HUD funds.

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Tidd said for the rehab program, 15% of the loan is forgiven each every for five years, as long as the person still lives in the home and they’re keeping up the property. That means about a quarter of the loan needs to be repaired. The typical monthly payment is $25.

“There are no fees associated with them, we don’t go after anybody to pay them. If they call me and say ‘Hey, I have car repairs this month,’ we would rather them take care of themselves than to pay us the $25,’” Tidd said.

Home repair loans are completely forgiven after two years.

Tidd said the program is always looking for licensed, bonded and insured contractors to join the program. When the program has too few contractors on the approved list, that causes delays for the people the program helps.

Applications are available on the Greene County website and accepted on a rolling basis, Tidd said.