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Home‑repair program: 38 completed, contractor shortage limits speed of work
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Summary
Administration reported the ARPA-funded home repairs program has completed 38 rehabilitations, with 13 in progress and a waiting list; staff cited a shortage of qualified contractors and said emergencies and seniors receive priority.
Administration told council the ARPA-funded home-repair appropriation of $5,000,000 (Bill 5 of 02/2023) has been used to complete 38 rehabilitations; 13 homes are currently under construction and additional approved projects are awaiting contractor availability.
Program staff said there were 220 total applicants for the program, 62 applications had been denied "largely due to either not meeting the program income requirements or incomplete applications." Staff explained denials were typically because applicants exceeded the program income limits rather than because of missing property need.
The presenter described a bottleneck in contractor availability: program staff are sharing contractors with multiple rehabilitation programs, and staff will hold a contractor meeting this month to recruit additional qualified contractors. Program staff said they prioritize emergencies and senior households; "if they qualify and they have an emergency, need like a roof, we put them at the top of the list," staff said.
On procurement and payments, staff said contractors bid on each assignment after an on‑site walkthrough; program staff open bids and select a winning bid. Staff also said they do not put funds in homeowners' hands; instead, the city facilitates payments directly to contractors and performs a final inspection and homeowner sign‑off on completed work. For larger repairs, staff mentioned a per‑project cap of $28,000.
Council members asked whether income guidelines could be broadened to reach working households slightly above federal thresholds. Staff said they would review program criteria when the program reopens and invited council members to join that discussion.
Administration committed to publishing additional program detail and to holding a contractor outreach meeting to accelerate the pace of repairs.
