MAYOR GRAHAM RICHARD
Public meetings have shown that one of the greatest needs in the City of Fort Wayne is assistance with home repairs. Many in our community cannot afford to make major repairs to their homes, instead being forced to live in unsafe or unhealthy conditions. The City is responding to this need and is making additional funds available for home repair programs.
I recently announced funding for two projects that will aide low-income residents in need of home repairs. The City is allocating an additional $37,500 to the East Wayne Street Center for its Community Home Repair Program. This supplemental funding brings the Center’s total Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) allocation to $75,000. The funds will be used to provide labor, and sometimes supplies, to help low-income and elderly residents in our community make home repairs. This includes painting, repairing drywall, fixing lighting and plumbing and other minor repair work. Right now, the East Wayne Street Center has a waiting list of homeowners in need of their services, illustrating that this is, in fact, a much-needed program in Fort Wayne. Residents in need of home repairs can contact the East Wayne Street Center at 422-6502 to determine if they are eligible for financial help.
In addition, the City of Fort Wayne has developed a pilot program called the Homeowner Repair Program. With $200,000 in CDBG funds we will be able to reach out to more people in Fort Wayne in need of repairs to keep them safe and secure in their homes. To make the process comfortable for residents, they can apply for the funds through the East Wayne Street Center or the Allen County Council on Aging. The City’s department of Housing and Neighborhood Development Services (HANDS) will examine the application for eligibility requirements, review the repairs needed and let the project out for bid. Work could start on a home within about three weeks of the homeowner’s application. Those eligible for the Homeowner Repair Program must have an annual income at or below 30 % of the median area income. Repairs have to be considered major enough to require a licensed contract. For example, repairs to electrical, plumbing and heating systems, repairs to roofs, foundations and porches, and security-related repairs, such as those to windows and doors would qualify. For more information on the Homeowner Repair Program, contact HANDS at 427-1140, the Council on Aging at 426-0060 or the East Wayne Street Center.
Both of these programs will go a long way in addressing the great need for home repair in our community. As summer comes to an end and winter approaches it is even more important to make these homes safe and secure for Fort Wayne’s neediest residents.
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