ORDINANCE approving and authorizing new home repair program guidelines to replace the first amended and restated administrative guidelines for the Single-Family Home Repair Program

The Housing and Community Development Department (HCDD), requests City Council to replace the current Single-Family Home Repair Program Guidelines with the new Home Repair Program (HRP) Guidelines that will broaden the program focus to include not only low- and moderate-income elderly and disabled homeowners, but also homes of employed applicants with minors and unemployed applicants providing full-time care to disabled household members.  Additionally, the new guidelines will recognize additional program resources and will incorporate practices established during the Disaster Recovery Round 2 Program and subsequently named “best practices” by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

Like the current program, the new program will address repairs needed to alleviate threats to the health, life, and safety of the home’s occupants.  These Guidelines govern current allocations, and any future allocation of federal and local funds for housing rehabilitation and reconstruction activities to be performed under the HRP. 

A summary of the minimum criteria for the new guidelines is as follows:

1. The home listed on the HRP application must be the homeowner’s primary residence.

2. The eligibility income limit for the household is 80% of Area Median Family Income (AMFI).

3. Tier I (Minor Repair) – Repairs not to exceed $9,999

4. Tier II (Rehabilitation)

   1. Moderate Repairs - $10,000 to $29,999

      1. A five-year affordability period will be placed on the home, requiring partial repayment if the home is sold within five years of completion of the home repair activity.

   2.  Substantial Repairs - $30,000 to $65,000

      1. A 10-year lien will be placed on the home, requiring partial repayment if the home is sold within 10 years of completion of the home repair activity.

5.  Tier III (Reconstruction)

   1. Repairs more than $65,000

      1. A 20-year lien will be placed on the home, requiring partial repayment if the home is sold within 20 years of completion of the home repair activity.

This Ordinance will enable the Director of the Housing and Community Development Department, at his/her discretion, to amend the guidelines to comply with HUD and other regulatory requirements or to ensure the efficient and proper administration of the HRP.  Such administrative revisions must limit the area median income requirement for participants to no more than 80%.

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(O) 2008-0683, 07/30/2008

Roxanne Lawson

Phone: 832.394.6307