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The City of Piqua
Housing Rehabilitation Program, funded by the federal
government's Comprehensive Housing Improvement Program (CHIP)
Grant, is designed to help preserve the existing housing stock
and preserve neighborhoods by eliminating existing or potential
eyesores in neighborhoods; assist property owners in eliminating
all property code violations; and encourage property owners to
take responsibility for the maintenance of their home and to
take pride in their homes and neighborhood. The funds are
available to lower and moderate income (LMI) households and
those with special needs in the City of Piqua. The US Department
of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) establishes these LMI
incomes each spring. The incomes are adjusted for the number of
persons living in that house and are for a multi-county area of
which Piqua is a part.
These goals are achieved by providing a number of programs or
activities under the CHIP Grant Program. The City has received
more than $4.88 million in CHIP grant funds since 1991 (through
2004) and has helped many Piqua LMI households: loans for 162
home Private Owner Rehab projects, 61 Home Repair grants, 47
loans for Down Payment Assistance/ Rehabilitation projects for
first-time homebuyers.
The Ohio Department of Development who oversees the federal
Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) grant for Fiscal
Year 2004 (2004-2006), has announced that the City of Piqua has
successfully completed its application for funds in the amount
of $530,000 in assistance for LMI housing projects through 2006
" for five different housing activities or programs.
Program
Publicity
Each of the five
different activities in the CHIP Program, as well as a
presentation on fair housing, were explained at the Community
Development Department's "CHIP Community Kickoff
Meeting" on November 17th at 3 pm and another at 6 pm. The
meeting was held to allow as many residents to attend as
possible. It was to communicate information to them and they, in
turn, would pass it on to relatives and friends and to clients
of the community organizations that they represent. More than 60
individuals, including public officials, members of the
community's social service agencies, churches, Piqua Housing
Advisory Committee, etc. attended along with interested
residents.
The CHIP Program has been publicized in the past year at various
times and in
various ways, including the Piqua and Dayton newspapers, local
WPTW-AM radio “County in Focus” and “Your City and You”
programs , local cable access television (Piqua TV5)
“What’s Happening in Piqua” monthly program and “Grant
Money For You”, and on Piqua TV5 during the live and
rebroadcast of the Piqua City Commission where the Commission
and the public were briefed on the CHIP Programs, at all CDBG
grant public meetings (six during 2005), through an extensive
informational campaign on Emergency Housing Assistance which
involved contacting all area mortgage lenders, social service
agencies, other non-profit organizations, at various other
meetings or gatherings throughout the community,
Deputy Gary Backe, the Miami County Sheriff Deputy who
manages Sheriff Sales of foreclosed properties.
Each contact was asked to circulate the Emergency Housing
Assistance program information to all staff for potential client
and acquaintance referrals.
The
New
CHIP Grant
Consists
of Five
Major
Activities
or Programs
Home (owner-occupied) Rehabilitation loans - for
lower-moderate income (LMI) homeowners in the City of Piqua
whose median income falls below the limit (80% of the median
area income) set by the federal government. The loan is a 0%,
partially forgivable and the balance declines each year with 30%
of the loan due when the homeowner and his spouse sells the home
and leaves the property. The maximum loan with the City CHIP
Program is $25,000. The rehabilitation assistance is designed to
bring the residences up to City and federal property maintenance
codes and reduce lead paint hazards where necessary. Generally,
eligible repairs include roofs, gutters, windows, doors,
furnaces, hot water heaters, plumbing, insulation, painting,
handicap accessibility modifications. Items that are not
eligible include room additions, cosmetic changes, garages, and
general property improvements.
Currently,
applications are closed. The
city publicly announced a brief re-opening of applications from
September 6-16 in order to assist from 1-2 additional eligible
households.
Home Repair grants - for lower-moderate income (LMI)
homeowners in the City of Piqua whose median income falls below
the limit (65% of the median area income) set by the federal
government. The grant is for one or two repairs up to $8,000.
Generally, eligible repairs include roofs, gutters, electric,
furnaces, plumbing, major structural damage, handicap
accessibility modifications and lead based paint abatement.
Items that are not eligible include windows (due to lead-based
paint issues), room additions, cosmetic changes, garages, and
general property improvements.
Currently applications for assistance are
closed (closed officially April 21, 2005).
The last home repair projects are being started and a
number have been completed.
First-Time Homebuyer Assistance loans or Downpayment
Assistance/ Rehab loans - for lower-moderate
income (LMI) homeowners in the City of Piqua whose median income
falls below the limit (80% of the median area income) set by the
federal government. Here, two loans are available to those who
have not owned their own home in the last three years or longer.
The first is a 0% interest loan for the down payment to purchase
an eligible home in the City of Piqua - 5% of the purchase price
(a maximum of $5,000), which is due in full due when the
homeowner and his spouse sells the home and leaves the property.
Once the down payment assistance is extended, the homeowner is
automatically eligible for a second loan, a 0%, partially
forgivable loan that works much like the Private Owner
Rehabilitation loan does. The maximum loans for the
rehabilitation work is a maximum of $25,000 (for both the down
payment assistance plus the rehab work). Free homebuyer credit
and budget counseling is required of all participants. The key
here is having good enough credit to secure a loan for a home.
Those who have insufficient credit to obtain mortgage lending
are encouraged to begin the process of either obtaining debt to
establish credit or repair their credit to apply for the CHIP
Down Payment Assistance/ Rehab program the next time the City
offers it in their CHIP Grant Program.
Currently, applications are still being
accepted although the city
publicly announced a brief re-opening of applications
from September 6-16. The
city has attracted additional applicants and it appears that the
city will be able to assist from 1-2 additional eligible
applicants. One
client has purchased her home with the CHIP downpayment
assistance and rehab repair work will begin.
Rental Rehabilitation loans - a new CHIP Program
designed to help landlords, private and commercial and
non-profits, rehabilitate rental units in order to improve the
housing stock, improve tenants' living conditions in affordable
units, and bring additional housing up to code (just like the
Home Owner Rehab loan Program). The program is run very similar
to Miami County's current and very successful Rental Rehab
Program. Landlords can take advantage of one of two loan
options: 1) 5 year, deferred 0% interest, declining balance loan
2) 5 year 3% direct loan - both up to a maximum of $14,999 of
CHIP assistance. Landlords may contribute additional funds of
their own to complete the rehab work. Landlords must sign a
contract requiring that all units must be rented to LMI persons
and for no more than the HUD-established "Fair Market
Rent" limits for the life of the loan. The landlord must
bring the unit up completely to State RRS and City Codes, just
as the other rehab programs must.
Currently applications for
rental rehab assistance are closed (closed officially April 21,
2005) for this year’s program, but applications expressing an
interest or desire to participate in the program (2006-2008), if
rental rehab is continued, are available.
Emergency Housing
Assistance grants - a new CHIP Program to Piqua also. It
is designed to help low and moderate income (LMI) households,
who are facing foreclosure. Eligible homeowners will receive a
one-time grant to avert the housing crisis. It is emergency help
and not meant to provide long-term mortgage assistance.
Recipients must demonstrate the ability to emerge from debt and
remain debt free. The maximum assistance is $2,400. Here, the
City will utilize the services of the Piqua Salvation Army, a
local non-profit agency that has a long and distinguished track
record at dealing with people that have such needs. They will
distribute and process applications. Required of all who desire
financial assistance is a mortgage credit counseling with
Consumer Credit Counseling/Lutheran Social Services to make a
plan to get out of debt and stay out of debt. The final
decision on granting any assistance will be the City with
recommendations of the Salvation Army and Consumer Credit
Counseling.
Currently, applications are still being
accepted. The city
has attracted several additional applicants in recent weeks, but
many more eligible households can be assisted with the funds
available..
CHIP
Program Staff
The "CHIP Community
Kickoff Meeting" was also used to introduce the City’s
CHIP staff. David
Bollinger, a veteran housing rehabilitation specialist who
has been with the Piqua CHIP Program since 1991, has
responsibilities to do all the inspections, prepare work
specifications, manage the bid process and provide technical
assistance to the homeowners. Dianne
Harris, who has replaced the recently retired Jack Baumann,
is the administrative/finance specialist. She receives all
but Emergency Housing Assistance applications, verifies
applicant eligibility and closes all loans, verifies requests
for contractor payment and other related functions. Juanita
Supinger, Piqua Salvation Army (773-7563), receives all applications for the
Emergency Housing Assistance program. She will verify
eligibility and recommend to the CHIP Administrator that each
applicant either be approved or denied assistance. Lutheran
Social Services will conduct the mandatory Homebuyer
Counseling necessary for those in the Down Payment Assistance/
Rehab Program and mortgage credit counseling for the Emergency
Housing Assistance Program. Karen
Dickey, Miami County Fair Housing Coordinator, will provide
Fair Housing services when Piqua citizens feel that they have a
fair housing complaint. CHIP Administrator Andy
Burner, is responsible for the overall administration of the
grant. He is the City's Community Development Director and the
only full-time employee in the Piqua CHIP Program.
Applications
Applications
for other CHIP programs can be obtained at the Community
Development Department, 2nd floor, Municipal Government Complex,
201 W. Water Street during office hours (Monday-Friday, 8am -
5pm) or by calling Dianne Harris (Monday and Thursday, 9am –
3pm) at 778-2062. Applications for the Emergency Housing Assistance
grant program are available Piqua Salvation Army offices, 129 S.
Wayne Street or by calling them during office hours
(Monday-Friday, 9am-4pm) at 773-7563 and the city’s Community
Development Department as well.
Applicants are urged to complete the applications completely and
fully. Program funding goes quickly many years and questions
should be directed at once to the appropriate contact: Dianne
Harris (all but Emergency Housing Assistance) or to Juanita
Supinger at the Salvation Army (only the Emergency Housing
Assistance).
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