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Takoma Park staff ask council for $25,000 to continue Village small home‑repair program
Summary
Housing staff recommended a $25,000 allocation from the housing reserve to contract with the Village of Takoma Park to continue a small home‑repair program that subsidized materials and expanded volunteer capacity after a prior $26,000 state grant; council asked for reporting and outreach to renters and underserved areas.
Housing program staff presented a request to allocate $25,000 from the city's housing reserve fund to continue the Village of Takoma Park's small home‑repair program through the remainder of the fiscal year.
"What we are asking for is for you to approve an ordinance that will allocate $25,000 from the housing reserve fund to a contract to the Village of Takoma Park to continue their small home repair program," Patty Malan told the council, describing the program's prior state grant ($26,000) that paid for materials and capped material assistance at $1,500 per household.
Malan said the pilot delivered roughly 160 repair jobs, grew volunteer hours and memberships, and sometimes encountered projects that required contractors or skills beyond volunteers' insurance coverage. She said the housing reserve balance stands at about $1.4 million and that the proposed contract would allow the Village to use funds for materials, limited contractor payments and expanded outreach to tenants and under‑served neighborhoods.
Councilmembers asked how recipients are prioritized and whether renters can be served. Malan said the Village evaluates requests on a case‑by‑case basis and tracks project addresses and some demographic information; she said the Village has in the past installed grab bars for renters when property owners would not act.
Councilmember Schlegel noted the program's strong leverage of volunteer labor and asked whether the $25,000 would likely carry the program through the fiscal year; staff said the amount was based on last year’s spending patterns and that a small set‑aside or caps (for example, contractor caps) could be included in the contract.
Multiple councilmembers expressed support for funding the program from the housing reserve, asked staff to include outreach and reporting requirements in the contract to monitor geographic distribution and demographic reach, and encouraged continued pursuit of other state funding sources such as DHCD for future years. The council did not vote on the ordinance at this meeting; staff said the request will return as a formal ordinance or adoption item.
