Manhattan reviews proposed $100,000 home rehabilitation and repair program; no final vote

At a Manhattan City Commission work session on Tuesday, commissioners discussed a staff proposal to create a home rehabilitation and repair assistance program that would dedicate $100,000 a year from the city's workforce housing sales tax to reimburse nonprofit providers for critical repairs and limited rehabilitation work.

The proposal, presented by Stephanie Peterson, director of Community Development, calls for a reimbursement-based program in which certified 501(c)(3) nonprofits would apply under a notice of funding availability (NOFA). Peterson said staff would recommend awards and bring funding agreements back to the commission for approval. "This is really a skeleton of a program," Peterson said. "We would recommend that this is a reimbursement program."

Peterson told commissioners staff recommends reserving 10% of the annual allocation for emergency repairs—for example, furnace or water heater failures—and using the remaining 90% for other eligible repairs on a reimbursement basis. Under the draft program parameters discussed, eligibility would be limited to owner-occupied homes inside Manhattan city limits and households at or below 120% of area median income. Eligible applicants would be state-registered 501(c)(3) nonprofits that perform repair or rehabilitation as part of their…