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Beaufort–Jasper Housing Trust pitches home repair model and matching funds to Port Royal council
Summary
Representatives from the Beaufort‑Jasper Housing Trust described a home‑repair program used in Beaufort — a matching‑fund model with a proposed cap of $50,000 per house, third‑party income verification and a first‑come, first‑served intake — and offered to draft a Port Royal version for council consideration.
Christine Rachel introduced herself as Port Royal’s representative to the Buford (Beaufort)–Jasper Housing Trust and asked council to consider a local repair program based on a recent Beaufort pilot.
Claude, speaking for the trust, said the Beaufort pilot used a matching‑fund model in which the city provided $150,000, the trust provided $100,000, applicants were income‑verified by LOCOG and title searches were performed by a law firm. He said the pilot capped awards at $50,000 per house and divided the city into geographic zones to ensure fairness.
"The goal is to preserve existing affordable housing stock," Claude said, adding the program prioritized health and safety repairs for primary residences and capped income eligibility at 80% of area median income (AMI) in the Beaufort model.
Trust staff described application intake as first‑come, first‑served with a time‑stamped process, third‑party verification to avoid errors, a construction coordinator to scope work and competitive bidding with city inspection before contractor payment. Claude said underbid savings are rebundled to help others on the wait list.
Council members asked about safeguards against price inflation and whether mobile homes qualify. Trust staff said they seek multiple bids, prioritize local contractors where appropriate and apply the state guidance that mobile homes must be 25 years or newer to qualify; they also suggested adding an occupancy requirement (resident in the house at least one year) to reduce misuse.
The Trust offered to draft a Port Royal program, provide backup materials and help with administration if council chooses to pursue it. Council members said they will discuss the prospect at an upcoming retreat.
