Funding and Assistance Available to Senior Citizens for Home Repairs

Funding and Assistance Available to
Senior Citizens for Home Repairs

Poughkeepsie…Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro has announced applications are being accepted for Dutchess County’s Senior Citizen Property Rehabilitation Program, which provides funding and project assistance to senior citizens to complete minor to moderate rehabilitation on their homes.

“The cost and logistics of large project repairs can be overwhelming for some senior citizens. This program helps ensure seniors can remain safely in their home by providing the help they may need to get those important repairs taken care of,” said County Executive Molinaro.

The program provides zero percent loans and deferred payment loans up to $20,000 to income eligible senior citizens in order to make repairs to “major systems” such as: roofs, furnaces, decks/porches, structural problems, handicapped accessibility, electrical, and plumbing. Eligible applicants receive assistance with determining the scope of the necessary repairs, bidding out the project, selecting a contractor and ensuring all the work is done as specified to meet applicable building codes.

Eligible applicants must be 62 years of age or older at the time of application and their total household income must be below the following maximums:

Family Size Income Limits
1 $46,100
2 $52,650
3 $59,250
4 $65,800

The type of assistance provided is based on income. Households making between 0-50% of the county median receive deferred payment loans repaid when the homeowner leaves or sells the property. Households making between 50-80% of the county median receive zero percent interest loans repaid through a monthly payment.

Eligible properties include single-family detached properties. The federal funding source for this program limits assistance to “modest” homes. In Dutchess County, a home must be valued at or below $238,000 for 2015 to be eligible for the program. Mobile homes, condominiums and townhouses are not eligible for the program.

Eligible applicants must be named on the deed as an owner. Other parties may be named on the deed as long as the applicant is also one of the owners. Life tenants and properties owned by trusts are ineligible. Applicants must show the property is their principal residence.

Eligible properties may by located in any Dutchess County municipality except the City of Poughkeepsie, which has its own CDBG and HOME allocation.

Dutchess County Community Development Administrator Anne Saylor said, “This program has helped many seniors stay in their homes. We work closely with the homeowner to select the right contractor for the project and ensure the works gets done correctly. Getting these projects done offers peace of mind and greater sense of security for seniors.”

For complete eligibility guidelines, contact the Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development, 27 High Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 at (845) 486-3600 or access the application on the County’s website at:
www.co.dutchess.ny.us/CountyGov/Departments/Planning/seniorproprehabapp.pdf.

Author: Harlem Valley News