By MATT PIKE
St. Joseph Post
Money given to the City of St. Joseph for COVID relief and economic stimulus funds will be put towards helping to revitalize homes around the city.
The Urban Homestead Rehabilitation Grant Program will help provide minor home repairs up to $25,000 for those with low to moderate incomes.
St. Joseph Historic Preservation Planner Kim Schutte, who is heading up the program, says many people have applied for the program since it was announced a month ago.
"It's an opportunity to help people, low to moderate income people, and people in certain neighborhoods to get a new roof if they need it, get new windows," Schutte tells host Barry Birr on the KFEQ Hotline. "I've got several who don't have furnaces, and so we're getting that."
Schutte says this program is a chance for city dollars to provide a tangible difference to residents.
Schutte says the city helps homeowners determine the scope of work to be done.
"We put it out to bid for the contractors, we enter into the contract with the contractors, we see that the work is done. When the contractor tells us the work is done, we send an inspector out there to make sure that it's done and it's done right, and then the city pays the contractor," Schutte explains. "So, the homeowner doesn't have to deal with the bids, doesn't have to deal with any of that, the city takes care of that."
Schutte says homeowners will have a say in the look of the work so that it is designed still how they would like.
And Schutte says the work that needs to be done can be anywhere in the home.
"We tend to focus on the exterior, and often that's because that's the first thing that you need (done), if your roof isn't good there's no point in really doing anything else," Schutte says. "But also, I tell people that for the interior we're not taking that off the table, I'm not gonna refinish your hardwood floors for you, but if you have issues that rise to the level of health and safety."
Schutte says some home repairs that are being provided through the grant include window and roof repairs as well as even adding furnaces to some homes.