Category: Housing

Residents should apply now for wait list

Homeowners in Jersey Shore Borough may be eligible to receive up to $65,000 in home improvements from the HOME Existing Owner-Occupied Housing Program.

SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is encouraging county residents to apply now to get on the wait list. SEDA-COG manages the program on behalf of the borough.

Interested residents may call SEDA-COG’s Stacy Anderson at 800-326-9310.

Eligible repairs include structural, roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating/furnace, window replacement, radon and lead-based paint mitigation, and energy-related improvements. Also included are modifications for mobility-impaired residents. There is no cost to homeowners who maintain home residency over a five-year period from the date of signing.

Homeowners can go through the process hassle-free with SEDA-COG managing it from start to finish, said Teri Provost, director of the agency’s Housing Rehabilitation program.

“Eligible homeowners can enjoy a rehabilitated home at no cost to them while we help them from start to finish, from obtaining a contractor, managing the project, to anything that may arise during or after the rehabilitation process,” Provost said.

Qualifications:

• · Own the home or have Life Rights to live in it;
• · Meet income qualifications based on household size;
• · Be current on local taxes and municipal utility bills;
• · Provide proof of homeowner’s insurance;
• · Live in the home an additional five years.

Additional requirements may apply.

Annual Gross Income Limits:
Family size: 1 – $37,350; 2 – $42,700; 3 – $48,050; 4 – $53,350; 5 – $57,650

Residents should apply now for wait list

Penn Township homeowners in Snyder County may be eligible to receive up to $65,000 in home improvements from the Existing Owner-Occupied Housing Program funded with Community Development Block Grant funds.

SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG) is encouraging township residents to apply now to get on the wait list. SEDA-COG manages the program on behalf of the township.

Interested residents may call SEDA-COG’s Stacy Anderson at 800-326-9310.

Eligible repairs include structural, roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating/furnace, window replacement, radon and lead-based paint mitigation, and energy-related improvements. Also included are modifications for mobility-impaired residents. There is no cost to homeowners who maintain home residency over a five-year period from the date of signing.

Homeowners can go through the process hassle-free with SEDA-COG managing it from start to finish, said Teri Provost, director of the agency’s Housing Rehabilitation program.

“We make the process easy for the homeowner and manage it from start to finish,” Provost said.

Qualifications:

• · Own the home or have Life Rights to live in it;
• · Meet income qualifications based on household size;
• · Be current on local taxes and municipal utility bills;
• · Provide proof of homeowner’s insurance;
• · Live in the home an additional five years.

Additional requirements may apply.

Annual Gross Income Limits:
Family size: 1 – $35,950; 2 – $41,100; 3 – $46,250; 4 – $51,350; 5 – $55,500; 6 – $59,600; 7 – $63,700; 8 – $67,800.

Housing rehabilitation grants were awarded to Milton Borough, Montour County, South Williamsport Borough, and the City of Sunbury.

This is the second time in 20 years these funds have been awarded to Milton Borough.

Each is receiving $500,000 for no-cost home repairs for eligible residents. Residents may be eligible for up to $65,000 in repairs to their homes, dependent upon local rehabilitation guidelines. The waitlists are currently full since the potential grant awards were publicized last year when the applications were submitted in September.

Work is expected to begin this fall.

The funds are from the U.S. Housing and Urban Development’s HOME program and were recently awarded to the communities by the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

Teri Provost, director of SEDA-Council of Government’s (SEDA-COG) Housing Rehabilitation program, spoke of the value of the program.

“We are passionate about empowering our communities to have the best, most affordable housing possible by rehabilitating existing homes at no cost to eligible homeowners,” Provost said. “When we partner with communities on these efforts, it helps the homeowner, it maintains the communities’ tax base, and it increases property values.”

Eligible repairs include structural, roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating/furnace, window replacement, radon and lead-based paint mitigation, and energy-related improvements. Also included are modifications for mobility-impaired residents. There is no cost to homeowners who maintain home residency over a five-year period from the date of signing.

SEDA-COG oversees the entire process for the homeowner, Provost said.

“We make the project easy on the homeowner by managing it from start to finish, including obtaining the contractor,” Provost said.

Interested homeowners who want to be on the waitlist for future grant opportunities may call SEDA-COG’s Stacy Anderson at 800-326-9310

With Gov. Tom Wolf allowing construction to resume, general contractors have an opportunity to perform housing rehabilitation work with SEDA-Council of Governments (SEDA-COG).

Teri Provost, director of SEDA-COG’s Housing Rehabilitation, said the program benefits both the local community and workforce.

“We know that along with many others, contractors’ workload has been hard hit by the effects of the pandemic. With our housing rehabilitation work, we not only help our communities by rejuvenating housing stock, but we invest in our workforce by bidding out to local contractors,” Provost said.

Contractors are especially needed in Bloomsburg, Milton, and Shamokin. SEDA-COG also does housing rehabilitation work in the Borough of Berwick, Jersey Shore Borough, City of Lock Haven, Mount Carmel Borough, Mount Carmel Township, South Williamsport Borough, and the City of Sunbury, and in Juniata, Montour, Snyder, and Sullivan counties.

Housing rehabilitation bids typically range from $20,000 to $65,000, with timely payment to contractors.

Contractor work may include structural, roofing, plumbing, electrical, heating/furnace, window replacement, radon mitigation, energy-related improvements, and, if they have certain certifications, lead-based paint mitigation.

“Contractors can choose where they want to work, so there’s tremendous work flexibility,” Provost said. “Our work is year-round, so we offer a steady flow of projects. And if they don’t want to perform lead-based paint mitigation, we don’t require that certification for lead-free homes.”

Interested contractors can meet with SEDA-COG to answer questions. SEDA-COG streamlines the process for contractors with a rehabilitation specialist assigned to each community.

For more information, contact SEDA-COG’s Danielle King at 570-524-4491 ext. 7325 or dking@seda-cog.org.