Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Affordable Housing topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Habitat for Humanity outlines $3.5M ARPA work in Southeast Canton, asks council to consider funding garages for future homes
Summary
Habitat for Humanity told Canton City Council it used $3.5 million in ARPA funding for Southeast Canton to build 18 new homes, complete 43 critical repairs and demolish nine blighted structures. The group asked council to consider a future budget partnership to add single-car garages to new Habitat homes at an estimated $12,250 each.
Beth, a representative of Habitat for Humanity, presented the nonprofit's completed and ongoing work funded in part by a $3,500,000 ARPA award the city restricted to Southeast Canton.
She told council Habitat has used the ARPA award as seed funding and raised nearly $3,000,000 in private match to support the work. "The city of Canton awarded Habitat $3,500,000 in ARPA funding to be used in Southeast Canton only," she said. Habitat reported 18 new construction homes in the Southeast and 43 critical home repairs to occupied houses ("aging in place" projects). The organization also funded nine demolitions of properties deemed beyond rehabilitation and sometimes converted cleared lots into pocket parks.
Beth described Habitat's homebuyer process, saying families are selected from applicants who meet income guidelines (roughly 30% to 80% of median income), complete education classes and partner on builds, then purchase homes with a 0% interest, long-term loan. She explained the organization uses a form of shared-equity "silent second mortgage" that declines to zero over 10 years and that monthly payments are set at about 25% of a family's income.
Describing costs, Habitat said the hard cost to build a home rose from roughly $85,000 in 2019 to as high as $145,000 during the pandemic, then settled toward $115,000 by 2024. Beth said donors and in-kind contributions have helped lower costs and that Hillshire Clark Electric now provides electrical work and lighting for the program.
Looking forward, Habitat requested council consider a multi-year budget partnership to fund adding a single-car garage to its future homes, an option Habitat estimates would add about $12,250 per home. "As these ARPA dollars are done this year rolling out, that we might be able to form some kind of a partnership moving forward where there's something in the budget for the next few years to where you'll pay for the garages," Beth said.
Several council members and attendees praised Habitat's work during the public discussion. A homeowner who received repairs said the program made a large difference in her home and thanked the city and Habitat; council members thanked Habitat for addressing housing affordability and neighborhood stability.
Council did not take an immediate vote on funding for garages; Habitat asked members to consider the idea during upcoming budget discussions and committee meetings.
