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Catawba County adopts policies, WPCOG contract and $165,000 ordinance for Urgent Repair Program
Summary
The Board adopted program policies and a $165,000 project budget ordinance for the 2026 NCHFA Urgent Repair Grant, contracting WPCOG for up to $30,000 in administration to provide emergency repairs for roughly a dozen low-income homes.
Catawba County on Aug. 4 adopted the Assistance Policy, Procurement/Disbursement Policy, a WPCOG administrative agreement and a $165,000 project budget ordinance for the 2026 North Carolina Housing Finance Agency Urgent Repair Program (URP26).
Under the approved plan the county will use $135,000 for rehabilitation work and up to $30,000 to pay Western Piedmont Council of Governments (WPCOG) for grant administration. The program targets a minimum of 12 very-low- or low-income owner-occupied homes for life- or safety-related repairs (examples include leaking roofs, HVAC failures, septic or plumbing problems and accessibility modifications). Deferred, unsecured interest-free loans will be forgiven at a rate of $5,000 per year, with a maximum lifetime assistance cap of $15,000 per home under NCHFA rules.
Laurie Powell, WPCOG Housing Program Manager, and Housing Inspector Joel Herman will administer intake, inspections, work write-ups, bidding from an approved contractors registry and construction monitoring under the contract. Selection is first-come, first-to-qualify within income categories, with life-threatening repairs prioritized. The county’s assistance policy requires at least 50% of households assisted have incomes below 30% of area median income.
The Board approved the project budget ordinance (Ordinance No. 2025-04) authorizing the County to receive and appropriate the $165,000 grant and to contract with WPCOG for administration. The Board also adopted related procurement and disbursement policies to require a minimum of three approved contractors to bid each job and to require lien waivers before contractor payments.
County staff said current contractor shortages make roofing and HVAC work likely to account for a substantial share of scope; the program includes written appeals and complaint procedures and conflict-of-interest safeguards for staff and elected officials.
The ordinance and policies passed as part of the consent agenda and were adopted unanimously.
