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Revere trust readies senior home-repair program; online application pending final IT fix
Summary
The Revere Affordable Housing Trust reviewed a near-finished online application for a senior home-repair program funded at $50,000 total with a maximum of $5,000 per project; staff said applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted and that in-person help will be available at the senior center.
Joe Rafalese, a member of the Revere Affordable Housing Trust, presented the draft online application for a senior citizen home-repairs program and said the trust expects to begin accepting applications once a final technical issue is resolved.
The program has $50,000 available in total, and a maximum award of $5,000 per project. Applications will be accepted on a rolling basis until funds are exhausted; staff will review applications in the order they are received.
The application lists eligibility requirements: applicants must be 60 or older, own and occupy the home in Revere as a year-round resident and meet income guidelines at or below 80% of area median income. The document notes that the HUD income limits for the Boston–Cambridge–Quincy metro area are the basis for those thresholds.
Rafalese said applicants will submit proof of age and residency, documentation of household income, homeowners insurance, a contractor’s quote or estimate, and photos of the area needing repair. He also described an ad hoc review committee made up of city staff from planning and community development, the senior center, and health and human services that will check feasibility, program alignment and contractor licensing.
A staff treasurer reported the trust balance as $913,996.44 during the meeting. Rafalese said the trust will send a one-business-day acknowledgement after receiving an application and noted that processing time will vary by complexity.
Rafalese described one remaining technical issue in the online application: the household-employment section currently forces fields that are not relevant for many retirees. He said the application will include a top-level selector—employed/retired/not working—so retired applicants can skip employment fields and instead supply Social Security or pension documentation. He told the board IT is addressing that last item and staff expect to post the application soon.
To help applicants who are not comfortable online, Rafalese said senior-center staff will be trained to assist residents in person, including uploading documents and providing or creating a contact email for processing if the applicant does not have one. He said the city will publicize the program via the senior center, community liaisons, 311, the local newspaper and Revere TV.
Trust members asked clarifying questions about household-size rules and what counts as income; Rafalese said every household member’s income counts for eligibility. He apologized that the application was not live by Labor Day and thanked IT staff for assistance.
Staff indicated outreach and in-person assistance will begin once the application is posted and encouraged trustees to direct residents to the senior center for help.
