Vienna staff outline CDBG home-repair program; award amount not yet announced

A city CDBG program staff member told a public meeting that the dollar amount Vienna will receive from the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program has not yet been announced and that the award typically appears by July.

The staff member said the city has historically received “around anywhere from a hundred thousand to a hundred and $10,000,” and explained how the city uses prior awards for home rehabilitation and emergency repairs such as windows, doors, roofs, gutters and HVAC work to benefit low- and moderate-income households.

CDBG eligibility and timeliness

City staff described the three federal CDBG national objectives: benefit low- and moderate-income persons, eliminate slum and blight, or provide emergency aid. The presenter said Vienna has primarily used past CDBG awards to benefit low- and moderate-income homeowners and that, over a 12-month period, at least 70% of CDBG funds must serve that income group.

The staff member warned of a federal timeliness rule: jurisdictions may carry only 1.5 times their award amount 60 days before a grant begins. The presenter said the city must spend $7,626 by May to remain within that timeliness calculation and avoid probation or the risk of losing funds.

Income verification, liens and forgiveness

Staff explained that income documentation used to qualify applicants must be no more than 60 days old, which can delay approvals if awards arrive late. The city places a lien on properties that receive assistance; the lien is forgiven at a rate of 20% per year the owner continues to live in the house, so after five years the forgiven amount is fully released. If a property is sold before the five-year period ends, the homeowner must repay the city a pro rata portion based on years of ownership.

Program operations and outreach

Staff said Vienna typically receives enough applications to use most of its award, citing a recent year when 10–11 homes were rehabilitated. Outreach methods listed included door hangers, a newspaper advertisement and the city newsletter. Staff also said Vienna participates in a consortium overseen locally by the city of Parkersburg; consortium matters are administered through that lead city and grant documents are sent to the regional HUD office in Pittsburgh for processing.

Eligible activities

For the public hearing notice, staff recommended listing types of eligible activities current CDBG rules allow, including rehabilitation of houses, removal of architectural barriers, demolition and environmental cleanup, relocation payments when displacement occurs because of a CDBG activity, code enforcement, economic development activities, community-based organization projects, and program administration.

Next steps

Staff said the city will hold another public hearing after it learns the award amount to present a proposed spending plan and then seek council authorization to submit the application package to the regional office. "We will have another public hearing to say, hey — we're getting x amount of dollars, and here's how we propose to spend it," the presenter said.