Ross County to apply for $750,000 2026 CHIP grant; second public hearing set for May 11

Scott Ellis of the Ohio Regional Development Corporation told the commissioners the CHIP program — funded through HUD to the state — focuses on owner rehabilitation and home repairs for low-to-moderate-income (LMI) households. "My name is Scott Ellis, from Ohio Regional Development Corporation and we contract with the county to apply for and administer CHIP program in this county," Ellis said when he opened the briefing.

Ellis outlined eligible activities and limits: owner rehabilitation is capped at $85,000 per unit (with a five-year occupancy requirement tied to a mortgage), home repair is capped at $30,000 and does not carry a mortgage, and rental rehabilitation requires the owner to supply 50% of the funds, which has limited uptake locally. He said the county expects to apply for the full $750,000 and proposed allocating $350,000 to the city of Chillicothe and $400,000 to Ross County.

Key dates and process: Ellis said the application is due June 24 and that the board would hold a second public hearing on May 11 to review the draft budget and identify program priorities; the presentation emphasized homeowner rehab and home repair as likely priorities for the award.

Why it matters: CHIP awards support repairs and rehabs that preserve affordable housing stock for LMI residents. Ellis noted that past grants have been fully obligated by the county and city within the grant timelines.

Source material and local context: Ellis provided program performance context (past grant activity, caps, and common program constraints such as lenders’ requirements for down-payment programs and landlords’ reluctance to contribute 50% for rental rehab). He also noted monitoring and state oversight procedures for grant administration.

Next steps: The board will receive the draft CHIP budget at the May 11 public hearing and is scheduled to consider submission of the June 24 application.