With about $400,000 available, the city of Chattanooga is continuing to accept applications from eligible residents in need of money to complete repairs on their homes.
The city launched the Home Assistance Repair Program in mid-May with the goal of helping low- to moderate-income homeowners cover the cost of interior and exterior painting, porch and step repairs, and other similar projects.
The city aims to assist 90 or more families with essential home repairs over the next two years. Officials hope residents will be able to address existing or potential code violations that could lead to condemnation of their property.
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"Many of Chattaooga's homeowners do not have the means to address the various repairs their homes may need, which is why the program is so important," Andreana Moore, neighborhood relations specialist with the city of Chattanooga, said in a news release May 15. "It provides that little helping hand during their time of need and allows individuals or families to age in peace and keep their homes for generations to come.
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The Home Assistance Repair Program is funded with $500,000, and $98,000 of that has been committed to the Southeast Tennessee Human Resource Agency, which will manage its own pool of applicants, Kevin Roig, Mayor Tim Kelly's spokesman, said in an email Thursday.
That leaves $402,000 still available for the 100 applicants officials have seen so far from across Chattanooga, Roig said. The application period closes at 4:30 p.m. June 13. The city expects projects to be completed over the summer.
The program is part of a $30 million recovery plan the mayor has funded using pandemic relief dollars Chattanooga received from the federal government.
The city managed a prior iteration of the home repair program for about 14 years before stopping because of the pandemic. During that time, the city said, more than 750 Chattanooga residents received assistance.
All applicants must live in city limits and can't make more than 80% of the area median income based on the number of people living in their household. They must also provide proof of income, ownership, paid taxes and insurance.
Applications are available on a first-come, first-served basis and can be found on the Department of Community Development webpage on the city of Chattanooga website.
The city will hold two more in-person events for residents interested in applying for the program:
— Noon-3 p.m. Monday at the Chris L. Ramsey Sr. Community Center, 1010 N. Moore Road.
— 2-5 p.m. Thursday at the Avondale Community Center, 1305 Dodson Ave.
Contact David Floyd at dfloyd@timesfreepress.com or 423-757-6249.