Champaign opens pre-application to help homeowners with vital house repairs
CHAMPAIGN, Ill. (WCIA) — The City of Champaign will be helping some homeowners through vital repairs with a $1 million grant from the state.
Residents can pre-apply for a vital home repair costing up to $60,000 through the city. Repairs eligible to be covered include roofing, electrical and plumbing systems, foundations, existing decks and porches, environmental modifications, and improvements needed to improve a home’s accessibility so the elderly or those with disabilities can age in place.
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In order to qualify for the program, homeowners must show financial hardship stemming from the COVID-19 pandemic and earn less than 150% of the Area Median Income based on household size. The full eligibility requirements can be found on the website.
“Two great benefits of the Vital Home Repair Program are the higher assistance and income requirements,” Champaign’s Neighborhood Programs Manager Jennifer Carlson said. “Other assistance programs cap repair amounts at $15,000 per property and have an income limit of 80% Median Family Income. This new program will allow the City to assist homeowners that don’t meet eligibility requirements under existing housing rehab programs.”
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City administrators will pick via lottery 14 pre-applicants who qualify for the program to submit a full application. The rest of the applications will be held in a pool of alternates, where more will be picked if one applicant drops out or there is more funding left.
The pre-application period opens March 25 at 9 a.m. and closes March 29 at 5 p.m. Pre-applications can be submitted online on the city of Champaign’s website, or in-person at the Neighborhood Services Department at 205 W. Park Avenue in Champaign.
Only 16 municipalities across the state received funding from the Illinois Housing Development Authority for the grant.
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