Luzerne County will be offering home rehabilitation grants to income-eligible property owners

Income-eligible Luzerne County homeowners will soon have an opportunity to seek grants to preserve their aging homes, said county Community Development Director Andrew Reilly.

Reilly emphasized he will issue a public announcement about the eligibility requirements and application process when all details are finalized. Interested property owners must await that announcement, which will be released through the media and the county website, luzernecounty.org.

Pennsylvania Gov. Josh Shapiro’s administration is expected to formally announce the Whole-Home Repairs Program and statewide allocation awards in the near future.

However, Luzerne County’s receipt of at least $3.24 million for the program is already publicly known because county council voted last week on the first stage of a budget amendment factoring in the anticipated funds from the state Department of Community and Economic Development.

Council introduced the budget amendment last week and is set to hold a required public hearing and final vote at the next regularly scheduled meeting March 14.

Reilly said his office will oversee the county program but enter into a subrecipient agreement with the Commission on Economic Opportunity to administer it.

Covered by a portion of the state’s federal American Rescue Plan receipts, the program will provide funds for homeowners to address habitability and safety concerns, improve energy or water efficiency and make dwellings accessible for those with disabilities.

The state indicated a single grant cannot exceed $50,000, although the county program likely will set a lower cap to provide funds to a greater number of eligible property owners.

Reilly expects the demand will exceed available funding.

“The level of inquiries I’ve received already tells me there’s huge interest in this program,” Reilly said.

Most of the calls and emails he received stem from an online state posting about the upcoming program that lists Reilly and counterparts in other counties that will be coordinating it. Reilly said he has advised those reaching out that there is no way to apply until the details are finalized and announced.

To be eligible, the state said the household income cannot exceed 80% of the area median income.

Reilly said he must await state guidance before announcing any specific income thresholds because it’s still unclear if the formula will be the same for all households or based on family size. The state has scheduled conference call briefings with participating counties later this month, he said.

When council agreed to seek the Whole-Home Repairs state funding in January, the agenda said the program “represents the largest investment in housing that the Pennsylvania legislature has made in recent history.”

One in four Pennsylvania residents lives in a home that needs a critical repair, it said.

If the county ends up receiving more eligible applicants than it can fund, a waiting list may be kept in case additional funds are allocated, Reilly said. However, he cautioned this has not been set up as a permanent, ongoing program. As part of the American Rescue Program, the federal government set deadlines on the expenditure of funds.

Emergency repairs

Independent of this upcoming special program, Reilly reiterated his office always offers the Emergency Home Rehabilitation Program for income-eligible homeowners to make emergency repairs.

Not intended for more general home rehabilitation, this program funds specific building issues that create “unexpected and immediate danger to the health and well being of the occupants.”

Examples of emergency situations are a heater breakdown in the middle of winter, no water, hazardous electrical conditions, a leaking roof, lead-based paint hazards, accessibility issues or other inspector-identified factors, Reilly said.

The Commission on Economic Opportunity, or CEO, also administers this program on the county’s behalf. Liens in the dollar amount of the repairs are placed on participating homes for five years, with 20% of the loan forgiven annually until the debt is cleared.

Applicants must own and occupy the residence and have a household income at or below 80% of the median income for the area under federal regulations. Property owners cannot have delinquent real estate taxes unless they are engaged in an approved payment plan with the county’s tax-claim office. Properties in flood zones require evidence of flood insurance.

This program does not apply to structures in the county’s four cities — Wilkes-Barre, Hazleton, Pittston and Nanticoke — because the cities are eligible for their own funding, the office’s information said.

Further details on the emergency repair program are available by contacting Reilly’s office at 570-824-7214 or visiting the office’s page at luzernecounty.org.