Jackson County holds public hearing on proposed $400,000 CDBG housing-rehab application; officials pledge RFPs and committee review

Jackson County commissioners held a public hearing on a proposed $400,000 Michigan State Housing Development Authority (MSHDA) Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) application to fund homeowner rehabilitation across the county.

The hearing focused on a CDBG “My Neighborhood” homeowner rehabilitation program Accelerate Jackson County and a private consultant described as intended to help income-qualified homeowners with repairs such as roofs, furnaces and energy-efficiency work. Debbie Kelly, vice president of Accelerate Jackson County and county liaison for the project, said the county submitted a letter of intent to MSHDA and that a full application is due Sept. 17.

The proposal, as discussed at the hearing, would request the program maximum of $400,000. Individual homeowner grants can be up to $40,000; grants above $10,000 would carry a five-year lien on the property. Accelerate Jackson County said 18 percent of the award — estimated at $72,000 — is earmarked for administration, environmental review and related RFP processes.

Why it matters: Accelerate Jackson and the presenters said the program aims to…