Waunakee CDA recommends clarifying Housing Betterment Fund rules; board approves changes

The Waunakee Community Development Authority voted at its meeting to recommend that the Village Board adopt clarified language for the Waunakee Housing Betterment Fund policy, including a clearer income‑eligibility appendix and an updated pre‑documentation checklist.

Staff told the committee they added the full income guideline as Appendix D in the packet to make eligibility clearer after a recent applicant was screened out when the prior language proved ambiguous. Staff also said the pre‑documentation checklist will now require a recent mortgage statement showing the property is the applicant’s primary residence.

Board members confirmed the packet lists HUD income guidelines and asked staff to circulate a redlined version of the policy so members could see exact edits. Members discussed outreach: staff said past promotion (local newspaper and utility bill inserts) had produced interest and that the village plans a targeted postcard mailer to addresses under the value limit.

A member moved that the CDA recommend the board approve the submitted changes; the motion was seconded and the chair recorded the affirmative vote. The committee then noted there were no Housing Betterment Fund applications to score this month and moved on.

The CDA asked staff to return with a redline of the packet edits and to add a follow‑up agenda item next month to reconsider program award sizes and whether lower‑cost repairs should qualify.