Poughkeepsie… Dutchess County Executive William R. Steinhaus has announced the availability of funding to help senior citizens complete minor to moderate repair and rehabilitation on their homes.
Steinhaus said, "It’s important we make it possible for senior citizens needing assistance to remain in their homes. As we all know home repairs can be costly, but this program provides zero percent loans and deferred payment loans, up to $15,000, to financially eligible seniors. It can mean the difference in someone being forced for financial reasons from their homes or being able to maintain home ownership.”
The loans are repaid through monthly payment while deferred payment loans have no monthly payment and are forgiven if the senior citizen homeowner remains in the property for 10 years. The type of financial assistance to be provided is determined by county staff based on guidelines which assess the percentage of income a household spends on its housing expenses.
Eligible repairs include minor to moderate rehabilitation necessary to alleviate building code violations. The focus of the program is repairs to "major systems" such as: roofs, furnaces, decks/porches, structural problems, septics, handicapped accessibility, electrical, and plumbing. Properties with necessary repairs that substantially exceed $15,000 are not be eligible for assistance.
Eligible applicants must be 62 years of age or older and their household income must be below the following maximums:
Family Size Income Limits
1 $41,100
2 $46,950
Eligible applicants must be the sole owner of the property to be rehabilitated and it must be their principal residence. Eligible properties may by located in any Dutchess County municipality except the City of Poughkeepsie, which has its own CDBG allocation and programs, and the Town of Fishkill and Village of Tivoli, where local officials have chosen not to join the assistance program.
Guidelines and applications are available by contacting the Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development, 27 High Street, Poughkeepsie, NY 12601 at (845) 486-3600 or at the County’s website: http://www.co.dutchess.ny.us/.
Funding for this program is from the Dutchess County Community Development Block Grant Program (CDBG).