Affordable Housing advisory committee advances revised guidelines, conditionally moves homeowner repairs forward

The Affordable Housing Fund Advisory Committee on Sept. 25 advanced revised program guidelines and authorized staff to conditionally move a group of homeowner-repair applications toward inspection and bidding, staff and committee members said.

Committee member Ruth Metzger, who led part of the review, told the group the updated guidelines allow a household to request up to $50,000 in total assistance that can be a combination of loan and grant, with the grant portion capped at $25,000 and forgiven at 20% per year while a lien remains on the property. "The maximum on the grant is 25,000, and that does not have to be repaid," Metzger said.

Lana Abel, deputy director of the Department of Metropolitan Development, described the funding context: the mayor recently allocated an additional $250,000 to the trust fund for homeowner repairs and staff reported approximately $452,430.90 currently…