PITTSBURG, Kan. —
After the city of Pittsburg was awarded $220,000 last November through the Kansas Housing Resources Corp.’s HOME Program, officials began accepting applications from homeowners seeking funds to rehabilitate their homes.
Forty-one applications were submitted that were eligible, but only 12 could be funded with the money available.
“We obviously have much more need than funds,” said Susan Galemore, a housing rehabilitation specialist with the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission, which administers the program.
So on Tuesday night, the City Commission approved submitting a $400,000 proposal — this one for a Small Cities Community Development grant through the Kansas Department of Commerce — for additional housing rehab funding.
The city would have to provide matching funds of $75,000 if the grant were awarded; $28,000 of that would come from the Pittsburg Presbyterian Housing Fund.
“This completes a program for us; as you know, housing may be the biggest issue we currently face as a city,” said City Manager Daron Hall.
PROGRESS
Of the 12 homes that were selected for funding by the HOME Program, the first three are ready for bids to be sought. Work should begin within 60 days, said Deena Hallacy, the city’s community development and housing specialist.
Eligibility was based on annual income. The limits were $30,450 for an individual applicant; $34,800 for a family of two; $39,150 for a family of three; $43,500 for a family of four; $47,000 for a family of five; $50,500 for a family of six; and $53,950 for a family of seven.
The estimated median household income in Crawford County in 2009 was $34,616, compared with the statewide level of $47,817, according to the U.S. Census Bureau. Sixteen percent of Crawford County residents reported income below the poverty level in 2009, compared with the statewide rate of 9.9 percent.
Eligible households could be awarded funds in the form of a “soft loan” up to $20,000 if needed, and up to $5,000 for lead-related activities. Twenty percent of the project costs may be paid by homeowner loan funds through the city of Pittsburg’s Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program.
The HOME Program is a collaborative effort involving the Southeast Kansas Regional Planning Commission, the SEKRPC housing inspector/assessor, the Citizens Advisory Board on Neighborhood Revitalization, the City Commission, the Community Development and Housing Office, and the Pittsburg building code inspector.
Hallacy said the program will make a positive dent in what city officials have described as a major need in Pittsburg.
“We have a long way to go,” she said. “It’s all about money.”
Competition
THE WINNERS of the statewide grant competition, which will award $3 million to $5 million, are to be announced in January.
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