Housing grant sought

Nearly 20 more low-income households in Seymour could receive financial assistance for home improvements if the city is awarded additional funds from the Indiana Housing and Community Development Authority.

Last year, the city received $125,000 for a housing grant program that has helped nine residents — people like Wilma Barnes on Oesting Street — make improvements to their homes.

Seymour Board of Public Works and Safety recently approved a request from Administrative Resources association for a 10th homeowner to receive grant money to install heating.

That work will use up the rest of the available funds, Victoria Dake, with ARa, said. ARa works with small cities and towns to secure state and federal grant money for municipal projects and programs.

In January, Seymour will apply for an additional $250,000 in Community Development Block Grant funds to continue the housing program.

If 100 percent of the request is funded, the city anticipates improving 17 to 18 more homes, Dake said.

Homeowners could receive up to $12,700 for general home repairs.

Improvements to homes may include electric upgrades, heating, cooling and plumbing, roofs, windows and doors, accessibility and removing lead-based paint hazards.

To be eligible, applicants must live in a single-family home that is on a permanent foundation. Homes must be insured and the household must meet certain income guidelines.

Priority will be given to persons with the lowest household income, Dake said.

Barnes, who lives on Oesting Street on the city’s south side, is one of those who received assistance from the program.

“I didn’t expect them to do everything they did,” she said. “But they did a wonderful job.”

With the money she received, Barnes was able to get new windows installed, a new porch and new siding.

“I had been praying for new siding and now my prayers have been answered,” she said.

She also was grateful for the work done to her porch.

“The railings were rusty and weren’t stable,” she said. “Now it’s a lot safer.”

For her, the program meant more than just making her home look better.

“It meant a whole lot to me,” she said. “It warmed up my house for the winter.”

Barnes said she read about the housing grant program in the paper and thought she could use a little help.

“The house was looking shabby. My husband has been gone for a while now and my income was so low I couldn’t afford to have the work done on my own,” she said. “So I’m real grateful for what they’ve done.”

Mayor Craig Luedeman said he supports the program because it helps city residents like Barnes.

“It’s helping people who wouldn’t be able to fix their homes on their own,” he said. “It makes their houses more valuable and gets them back on their feet. Anything we can do to help them out, we want to do.”

Besides making properties more valuable and attractive, the improvements also help save homeowners money on utility bills, Luedeman said.

Applicants will be scored based on several categories, with the greatest number of points (5) going to those households that are at 30 percent or below median income. Points also will be given to the elderly and disabled as well as single-parent households.

Applications are available at Seymour City Hall.

For information about the program, call ARa at (800) 889-3390 or Seymour City Hall at 522-4020.