NeighborWorks® Pocatello (NWP) is a recent recipient of an Affordable Housing Program (AHP) grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, which will help facilitate home repair projects for 40 low and moderate income home owners meeting certain special needs criteria. Recipients of the AHP grants must also reside in either Bannock, Bingham or Power County.
The funding is intended to help those who find it difficult or impossible to secure the needed resources to fix up their homes or take care of deferred maintenance issues. For homeowners needing additional resources above the $22,300 maximum grant amount, NWP offers a home rehabilitation loan in case more extensive repairs are needed.
NWP has a long history of being an outlet for residents that need resources to improve their homes but are not able to come up with cash or don’t qualify for financing from private lenders. To date, the organization has assisted over 600 homeowners in Southeast Idaho either through AHP grants or the Home Rehabilitation Loan Program. This is NWP’s third round of funding received from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines.
“It’s easy for homeowners to fall behind on home maintenance when resources are tight,” said Heather Pimentel, NWP’s Director of Lending and Counseling. “I am excited about this next round of funding because it will help offset costs for people and empower them to improve their living situations.”
In order to qualify for the AHP Grant, homeowners must be below 80 percent of Area Median Income levels. The minimum income threshold increases with household size. For example, a household of one in Bannock County must have annual income below $43,250, a household size of two must be below $49,400, etc. In addition to the income requirements, at least one resident of the household must be 62 years or older, have a physical or mental impairment, be HIV positive, or be in recovery from substance or physical abuse. Grant recipients will also be required to attend a 1.5-hour healthy home and home maintenance workshop.
Common issues that can be addressed with the program include (but are not limited to) new roofs, upgraded electrical and plumbing, HVAC, siding, windows, foundation issues and the addressing of accessibility issues. Additionally, NWP’s Construction Specialist will conduct a thorough inspection of the home to identify any health and safety issues and will complete a detailed scope of work document, which will assist the home owner with the contractor procurement process. Only licensed, bonded and insured contractors will be eligible to work on the projects.
The process of receiving AHP Grant funding is highly competitive. “I think we were able to once again make a strong case to the Federal Home Loan Bank that there are a lot of folks in our area that have deferred maintenance issues on their homes but lack the necessary resources to properly handle them,” said Mark Dahlquist, NWP Executive Director. “I think we were able to connect the need with the fact that we have a long and successful track record of fixing up homes in the community via past AHP grant rounds or through our home rehab loan program.”
The Bank of Commerce is the official member bank that made the AHP application process possible. Without a partnering member bank, a non-profit sponsor such as NeighborWorks Pocatello is not allowed to apply for AHP funding. “We are grateful that The Bank of Commerce recognized the importance of this funding to further our efforts and make our neighborhoods stronger,” said Dahlquist. “Without their help, none of these resources coming from the Federal Home Loan bank would have made it to our community,”
For more information, visit nwpocatello.org/services/home-improvement-grant/. There is also a 20-minute video on this page which goes into more extensive detail. You can also call the NeighborWorks® Pocatello office at (208)232-9468 for more information.