Mayor: 66 exterior home repair grants awarded; about 90 applicants qualified

Mayor Matthew Burke told the council on Aug. 11 that about 90 people qualified for the city’s exterior home repair grant in the most recent round but that available funding covered approximately 66 grants. He said applicants who did not receive funding could reapply in the next round if the city secures more money. Burke said possible sources to replenish the grant fund include proceeds from an economic development fund tied to sale of land-bank properties currently in negotiation. “We can possibly refurbish that grant fund for next year,” he said, and indicated the money would come from the general fund if council approves allocations. Why it matters: The mayor framed the program as an affordable-housing and neighborhood-rehabilitation tool. He told council that recipients were “happy” and acknowledged some applicants would be disappointed because funding was limited. Clarifications provided at the meeting: Burke said the grants were funded from monies already appropriated in the general fund and that the general fund is the city’s primary operating account. A resident later asked whether the mayor could use discretionary general-fund authority for other community needs; the mayor and a finance-related speaker explained competitive-bidding and fund-restriction rules apply and that the city’s unencumbered general-fund balance was not specified by exact figure during the public remarks. Discussion vs. decision: The council did not vote on changing the program or approving a new appropriation during the Aug. 11 meeting; the mayor described potential next steps for funding and encouraged reapplications for those not funded.