Crothersville earns grant to help homeowners make repairs

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CROTHERSVILLE

Homeowners may have work that needs to be done inside or outside their home but can’t afford to do it.

For about 20 people in Crothersville, the funding recently became available.

During a town council meeting earlier this week, Clerk-Treasurer Terry Richey announced that Crothersville is one of 12 communities in the state to earn an Owner-Occupied Rehab Aging in Place Project grant. That is presented through the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.

The town will receive $155,750 to help those who applied make repairs and home improvements.

That’s half of the amount the town applied for, but Crothersville officials said they were fortunate because only 12 of the 24 communities around the state that applied for funding received it.

“We’re thankful to get that portion of it,” town council President Ardell Mitchell said. “If we get 150 grand of home improvements for these folks that can’t afford it, that’s going to be awesome.”

The Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority provides opportunities for qualifying Hoosier homeowners to receive assistance to make much-needed repairs to their homes, according to in.gov/ihcda.

The repair program allows eligible entities to apply for grant funding to complete repairs on owner-occupied residential properties. Funding of up to $25,000 may be used to address conditions in a home that, if left unattended, would create an issue with the integrity of the home or become a detriment to the quality of life for the residents.

The program is designed primarily to assist the elderly, but it also could help those needing handicap accessibility.

“If they need a new furnace or a roof is leaking or electrical wiring is outdated, it’s a way to help them get those improvements done on their houses,” Mitchell said.

For those in the town who applied, project funding will be prioritized. Residents have yet to learn if they were awarded funding.

“Some will get less than what they asked for, and there may be some not get funded,” Mitchell said.

As long as the homeowner stays in their home for three years, they don’t have to pay any money back, Richey said.

“They are trying to help people to be able to stay in their homes longer,” she said.

The next step will be for Administrative Resources association to start the environmental review process, which is to ensure the project and its potential environmental impacts meet local, state and federal environmental standards. The Columbus-based organization helped the town apply for this grant.

Richey said she expects work on residents’ homes to begin next spring.

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