Belfast holding workshop for property owners interested in housing rehabilitation grants

Belfast, Maine - The City of Belfast wants to gauge the level of interest in continuing its housing rehabilitation program, which was funded in 2011 with a $300,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Assistance Grant.  These funds have been used to rehabilitate 41 rental units amongst 9 properties located in Belfast, resulting in decent, safe, and affordable housing for 70 tenants, most of them low- and moderate-income households and individuals.  Improvements to these properties have ranged from roof repairs, to window replacement, to energy efficiency improvements, to rectifying building and life safety code issues.  Participating property owners were required to provide matching funds equal to 20% of the project cost, and rent levels for assisted units were required to remain below Maine State Housing Authority-established Fair Market Rent levels for a period of five years.

This year, the maximum grant award for the CDBG Housing Assistance Grant program has been raised from $300,000 to $500,000.  As a result, Belfast is considering including single-family home rehabilitation in addition to multi-family rental housing rehabilitation as allowable activities.  The City is also considering lowering the 20% match funding requirement in exchange for property owners agreeing to keeping rent levels below Fair Market Rent levels lower for a longer period of time.  To determine the level of interest and to discuss the program, City staff will be hosting a workshop for owners of both single-family and multi-family
properties in Belfast at the City Boathouse (34 Commercial Street, Belfast) at 5:30 PM on Wednesday, January 30th.  Belfast hopes that interested property owners will help strengthen the City’s application to the CDBG Housing Assistance Grant program by completing Letters of Interest that will be available at this workshop.

More information about the City of Belfast’s Housing Rehabilitation Grant Program, including the Letter of Interest, can be found at www.cityofbelfast.org/housing.  Property owners may also request a Letter of Interest or ask questions regarding the program by contacting Mr. Kittredge at (207) 338-3370 ext. 16 or at economicdevelopment@cityofbelfast.org.

The CDBG program’s primary objective is to develop viable communities by providing decent housing and a suitable living environment and by expanding economic opportunities, principally for persons of low and moderate income.