Borough seeks homeowners interested in rehab program

0
80

Beacon Falls accepting applications

NAUGATUCK — The borough is seeking a grant to make home repairs for eligible homeowners, but first officials need interested homeowners to step forward in order to show a need for the funding.

Zoning Enforcement Officer Ed Carter is preparing to apply to the state Department of Housing for up to $400,000 to fund the borough’s housing rehabilitation loan program.

The program provides no-interest deferred payment loans for eligible homeowners to pay for a variety of repairs, including roofing, siding, doors, lead paint mitigation and abatement, weatherization upgrades and electrical work. The loans are applied as a mortgage on the property that comes due when the title is transferred or the homeowner dies.

Eligibility is based on gross annual household income, ranging from $50,350 for a household of one to $94,950 for a household of eight. Also, homeowners must be current on municipal taxes and have equity in the home, Carter said.

Non-owner occupied homes are also eligible for loans with interest, granted the tenants of the house meet the household income requirements.

The borough received $400,000 for the program in 2013, which was used to pay for about 15 projects. The borough applied again in 2017, but didn’t receive any funding, Carter said.

As part of the grant application, the borough has to show a need for the funding.

Carter is looking for potentially eligible homeowners interested in using the program to contact him in order to put together a list of potential projects to submit with the borough’s application. For information, contact Carter at 203-720-7208.

Carter said the application is due in April and he is looking to put together a list of projects by the end of March. The borough should know whether it will receive any funding for the program in the summer, he said. If the borough’s application is approved, Carter said projects would likely begin in the spring of 2020.

While Naugatuck is applying for funds, the town of Beacon Falls has money available for its home improvement loan program, which works the same as the borough’s housing rehabilitation loan program.

Beacon Falls received $400,000 in 2017 for its program and is seeking applications from eligible homeowners. The town is accepting applications through Aug. 1.

For information on Beacon Falls’ home improvement loan program contact the first selectman’s office at 203-729-4340 or Lisa Low, the town’s consultant for the program, at 203-888-5624. Information is also available on the town’s website, www.beaconfalls-ct.org, under the link “Housing Rehab Program” on the homepage.