Town council approved $450,000 for neighborhood assistance program, committee told

A staff member told the Affordable Housing meeting on Aug. 6 that town council approved $450,000 for the neighborhood assistance program in the 2027 fiscal-year budget. The staff member said five homes have received or are scheduled to receive repairs with invoices paid totaling $62,004.92.

"Town council approved the 2027 fiscal year budget for the neighborhood assistance program at $450,000," the staff member said. The report detailed that those repairs include roofing, flooring, stairs and plumbing, and that three more homes are awaiting estimates to be added to the work list. Staff estimated that by the end of August the program should have eight homes under its work list.

Staff described the program's scope as focused on essential, safety-related repairs rather than cosmetic replacements. "If we're doing plumbing under a kitchen sink and that floorboard is wet ... we'll do that, but we're not redoing your whole cabinets," the staff member said, explaining the program prioritizes safety and durability. Staff also cautioned that rising material costs — especially lumber and roofing supplies — are increasing per-house averages.

The staff member outlined typical processing times: applications are routed to LCOG for review (often returned within two to three days), building inspections then determine scope, and contractor scheduling plus material lead times mean projects generally take under three months from approval but can vary with homeowner availability and inspection workloads. The committee did not take a formal vote on any program change at the meeting.