Grants support affordable housing for Ohioans
With these grants nonprofits can contract with local qualified construction companies to complete essential home repairs.
The Ohio Department of Development announced $7.3 million in grant awards to help improve housing and provide down-payment assistance for more than 1,600 low- and moderate-income Ohioans.
The funding comes from the Housing Assistance Grant Program, which utilizes Ohio Housing Trust Fund dollars to help nonprofit organizations across the state promote more affordable housing opportunities and improve housing conditions through emergency home repair, renovations for handicap accessibility, limited down-payment assistance and homebuyer education.
“This funding is critical to addressing the issue of housing in Ohio,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “By supporting our local partners in their efforts to provide emergency home repairs, accessibility modifications and down-payment assistance, we're working together to ensure more Ohioans have a safe and stable place to call home.”
With these grants nonprofits can contract with local qualified construction companies to complete essential home repairs such as heating systems, water heaters, plumbing systems, severely deteriorated roofs, walls, windows, doors, hazardous electrical systems and more.
The grants also allow investments of up to $5,000 per home toward down-payment assistance and associated out-of-pocket expenses, as well as up to $500 per household for homebuyer education.
In total 23 nonprofits will receive grants through this program, benefiting residents in each of Ohio’s 88 counties.
The following local agencies will receive grant funds:
—Area Agency on Aging Region 9 (Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Muskingum and Tuscarawas counties) will receive a $500,000 grant to provide 45 home repairs for Ohioans age 60 and older, as well as residents with disabilities.
—Area Agency on Aging Direction Home (Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne counties) will receive a $300,000 grant to provide 66 home repairs and modifications for homeowners age 60 and older, as well as those 18 and older with disabilities.
—Habitat for Humanity and 42 affiliate agencies will receive a $400,000 grant to provide home repairs to income-eligible homeowners in all 88 Ohio counties.
—Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohio (Portage, Stark and Summit counties) will receive a $90,000 grant to provide 43 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners age 60 and older.
—Wayne-Medina Community Action Agency (Medina and Wayne counties) will receive a $251,000 grant to provide 45 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners.
—Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties) will receive a $100,000 grant to provide 10 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners age 60 and older.