Staunton council directs staff to design $100,000 senior home-improvement program with $9,000 cap

Staunton — The Staunton City Council directed staff to prepare final program documents for a Senior Home Improvement Program funded at $100,000 for fiscal year 2025–26 and administered by a contractor, Civic Stone, with individual grants capped at $9,000. The action came during the council’s July meeting after staff described proposed eligibility and prioritization.

Council members heard that the city contracted Civic Stone to administer the program and that staff are proposing to prioritize limited funding toward seniors age 65 and older who meet low-income thresholds. “So we are recommending that the grants range from $5,000 to $8,000,” a staff member said during the presentation, while later summarizing that council direction had settled on a maximum of $9,000 per applicant for the initial year.

The council’s vote authorized staff to prepare the program materials, application, outreach plan and contractor qualification process and return for an official program launch. The staff presentation said the city budgeted $100,000 at the May 27, 2025 budget workshop; staff later noted an administration fee to Civic Stone leaves approximately $90,000 available for project awards.

Staff described priorities and implementation details: first priority would be ADA-related modifications that enable seniors to age in place (examples: ramps, door widening, tub-to-shower conversions, grab bars), and secondary priority would combine length of residency and household income. Staff said applications would include checkboxes for common improvements and an open-ended category for other requests, and that Civic Stone maintains a list of qualified contractors the program would use.

Council members debated residency requirements, whether applicants must be homeowners (staff said homeowners only), whether medical certification should be required for ADA-related work and how to handle contractor selection and matching funds. The council did not adopt an absolute requirement for medical certification during the discussion; staff will include verification options in the program documents and return to council with the formal launch package.

Councilmembers also discussed geographic equity and outreach approaches; staff said program marketing will include mailed newsletters, social media, targeted mailings to senior multifamily properties and mobile home parks, translated materials and a planned formal presentation to council at the first meeting in September. Staff estimated some jurisdictions complete similar programs within six months, depending on application volume and project type.

Staff will return with the full program documents, a proposed contractor qualification list and a formal launch agenda item for council approval.