Aiken County HRA wins multiple grants to replace boilers, roofs and expand voucher help
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Summary
Aiken County Housing and Redevelopment Authority Executive Director Teresa Smooty described recent grant awards—$561,700 (2020) for fire‑safety upgrades, $1.2 million (2024) for boilers and $232,000 for roofs—and announced a new 'Bring It Home' voucher allocation adding 27 vouchers to local housing assistance.
Teresa Smooty, executive director of the Housing and Redevelopment Authority in Aiken County, said the agency has used several recent grant awards to repair safety systems and major building components across its portfolio while launching a new voucher program.
Smooty told the host that in 2020 the HRA “applied for and we received 561,700 in a forgivable loan through the POHP program. POHP is publicly owned housing program.” She said those funds paid to replace fire systems and fire doors and to create 88 entrances at Pioneer Villa in MacGregor and Hill Lake Manor in Hill City; pandemic-related delays pushed completion to about 2023.
The HRA later won a $1,200,000 award in 2024 to replace boilers at Maryhill, Pioneer Villa and Hill Lake Manor; Smooty said the project was awarded to Lundberg Plumbing and Heating and is about “99% complete.” She also said the agency received $232,000 to replace failing roofs on the 13 scattered-site houses in MacGregor.
Smooty outlined the HRA’s housing inventory: “We have a 145 public housing units,” plus a 60‑unit Maryhill Apartments in Aiken, a 30‑unit Pioneer Villa and 13 scattered homes in MacGregor, a 30‑unit Hill Lake Manor and 12 scattered homes in Hill City, and a 16‑unit Village Apartments for elderly and disabled residents (USDA‑funded). She said the HRA operates with HUD operating funds that are restricted to public housing and uses tenant rent portions and capital funds for improvements; capital funds have been leveraged to match POHP awards.
On rental assistance, Smooty said the HRA currently administers 35 Housing Choice Vouchers in Aiken and Mille Lacs counties and has begun administering the state of Minnesota’s Bring It Home program, which will add 27 vouchers for those counties. “With this program, we will receive our administration fees … a portion of that will be able to be as unrestricted funds,” she said, noting those fees can be used more flexibly for redevelopment work.
Smooty also described staffing and operational capacity: the agency has two full‑time and two part‑time maintenance employees who handle repairs across the portfolio. Looking ahead, she said the HRA’s top priorities are developing or rehabbing workforce and affordable housing and encouraging more 55+ developments so aging residents can remain in Aiken County. She said the HRA board is supportive of those initiatives.
The HRA did not announce any formal policy vote or ordinance during the recording; Smooty framed the session as an overview of recent capital work, funding strategies and program launches. The Bring It Home voucher rollout was described as launching the day of the recording and the boiler and roof projects were reported near completion.
