Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Housing Repair Grants topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Metro Housing announces new home-repair grant program for Flint homeowners
Summary
Metro Housing told council the agency will open a first-come, first-served home repair grant program for low-to-moderate-income Flint homeowners, with applications available the next day and a limited pool of awards.
Brian Glowak, a representative of Metro Housing, told the Flint City Council that the agency will open a new, first-come, first-served home repair grant program for low- and moderate-income homeowners in Flint.
Glowak said Metro Housing, as a member of the Federal Home Loan Bank of Indianapolis, has drawn down grant funds for repairs over the past eight years and awarded about $860,000 to Flint homeowners last year. “Last year, we awarded about $860,000 to homeowners in the city of Flint,” Glowak said. He said applicants will need to supply documentation and that Metro will require at least two contractor estimates before work can be scheduled.
City members and the public pressed for logistical details. A speaker identified in the agenda as Arthur Winston addressed document handling and the application timeline, noting applicants must submit copies (Metro cannot photocopy or return originals) and that Metro intends to post the application to its website and provide handouts to council for distribution. Winston said roughly 65–70 homes could be served by the new funds and listed eligible repairs including roofs, windows, exterior doors, furnaces, water heaters, mold remediation, gutters and certain accessibility modifications.
Glowak and Metro staff said the program competes with other member institutions in Indiana and Michigan for Federal Home Loan Bank funds and that applications would be available for pickup beginning the next day. He provided a phone contact for questions and said in-person application hours would be 9 a.m.–4 p.m., Monday through Friday. He also said Metro had previously administered ARPA-funded home-repair work for about 93 homes with approximately $1.5 million in related administration and improvement costs.
The council did not take a formal vote on the presentation; Metro’s remarks were placed on the agenda as a special order by council action earlier in the meeting and the presentation concluded before the public hearings began.
Metro staff encouraged residents to gather the required paperwork and submit copies promptly because awards are limited and funds are distributed on a first-come, first-served basis.
