Cleveland opens pre-approval applications for home repair

CLEVELAND — Cleveland’s ARPA-funded home repair programs applications are now open for Cleveland residents.

Applications are open until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, Aug. 28.

In 2023, Cleveland committed $10 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to citywide home repair programs. An additional $5 million was intended to accelerate neighborhood revitalization through home repair. The city also received a $2.5 million grant from KeyBank last August to aid the investment of the programs.

“For the past 11 months we have been working diligently behind the scenes to lay a foundation that sets these critical programs up for success,” said Mayor Justin M. Bibb in a news release. “We know the need is great and we are committed to maximizing these resources and working with partners to accelerate our ability to improve the quality of housing in Cleveland.” 

To apply, homeowners can fill out an online form to begin the pre-approval process for home repair, maintenance and home rehabilitation assistance.

The Department of Community Development will review applications to establish basic eligibility, but because of the high demand for the programs, only 150 eligible applicants will be selected via a lottery process. According to city officials, this is to ensure a fair and equitable distribution of projects.

Applicants are required to be owner-occupants with current property taxes; city staff are unable to process applications in-person or over the phone.

So far, the city has given grants to five nonprofits including Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity, CHN Housing Partners, Cleveland Restoration Society, Local Initiatives Support Corporation Cleveland and Community Housing Solutions which will receive funds to administer loans and grants to assist low-income residents with repairs.

The organizations will each facilitate their own programs and receive pre-qualified projects through the city’s application and lottery process.

“Councilmembers hear from residents every day about the urgent need for resources to help them maintain their homes,” said City Council President Blaine Griffin in a news release. “Addressing housing insecurity has always been a priority for Cleveland City Council. From the Lead Safe Ordinance, the Home Repair Assistance we championed to Right to Counsel, we have advocated for quality housing options.”  

In general, the home repair programs offer loans and grants up to $30,000 for roof work, HVAS, exterior violation and similar work. The city will handle the initial intake and match qualified applicants with the best program for them because of differing program rules.

As of Aug. 15, 27 properties which were waiting for city home repair programs have been handled through Habitat for Humanity and Community Housing Solutions. Another 33 wait-listed properties have repairs in progress or are under contract.

“We know the need is greater than the dollars we have, and not everybody will receive support this time around. This is why we established the lottery process to ensure that all eligible applications have the same shot at being selected,” said Cleveland’s Director of Community Development Alyssa Hernandez. “In addition, we are actively working on increasing our capacity, both internally and with contractors, to expedite federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help Cleveland residents with home repair assistance.”  

There were also 150 Southeast Side homeowners were invited to pre-qualify for the ARPA home repair aisstance based on Cleveland’s completed citywide property condition survey and their location in the investment area.

Officials believe the process of reviewing eligibility and notifying those selected through the lottery process by Sept. 30, 2024.