Debbie Eversole of the Community Development Department briefed the board on the city’s housing development and beautification program, saying the program has an annual budget of $400,000 split between home purchase assistance and exterior-improvement grants. “The annual amount budgeted for the program has been historically 400,000 per year. This is divided 100,000 for home purchase assistance and then 300,000 for improvements,” Eversole said.

Eversole said the home purchase assistance takes the form of $5,000 grants for qualifying buyers and that the $100,000 allotment funds about 20 applicants. She said the exterior-improvement allocation is $300,000 annually and that the program began in February 2016. “This marks the tenth year that this particular program has been in place,” she told the board, and she reported the program has helped “at least 82” properties with code violations since 02/2016.

She explained that beginning in 2023 the city carved out a portion of the $300,000 improvement funds specifically to help properties with code violations, a practice continued for three years. Eversole reported annual assistance totals from the program records: in 2023 the city assisted 10 properties with roughly $22,000 allocated for those repairs, in 2024 four properties received about $12,000, and in 2025 four properties had received approximately $12,800 to date. She emphasized three program rules: unused grant funds do not roll over to the next year, not all code violations qualify for the grant, and the grants are not intended to cover the full cost of most projects.

Eversole described eligible exterior projects (paint and siding, gutters and downspouts, windows and roofs) and named ineligible work (detached garages, foundations, and improvements not visible from the street). She also credited the compliance office for referring residents with code violations to the program. When asked by the board, Eversole confirmed the program is not income-based and that, after a 2024 policy change, the program has limited assistance to owner-occupied properties; rental properties were previously eligible in a small number of cases.

Board members asked about allowing work for owners who cannot provide matching funds; Eversole said program modifications would require higher-level approval through city management or the commission and that the department is open to discussing changes.

Eversole left program handouts at board members’ seats for reference and offered to answer follow-up questions.