PROJECT REPAIR

CITY OF BEAUFORT
“PROJECT REPAIR”
REPAIR PROGRAM FOR OWNER-OCCUPIED DWELLINGS

I.        Purpose. To preserve the local housing stock and the quality of life in the City by assisting low- and moderate-income homeowners in making necessary housing repairs.

II.       Program Goal. To complete repairs on ten homes within 12 months of program commencement.

III.     Eligibility. The program is targeted to low- and moderate-income homeowners in the city limits of the City of Beaufort. Minimum eligibility requirements are as follows:

  1. Applicants must meet the income guidelines of the federal Community Development Block Grant Program.

  2. Proof of homeownership will be required.

  3. Applicants must not have received a City of Beaufort “Program Repair” grant within the previous three years.

  4. Major repairs in Zone A floodplain areas will not be made unless the applicant possesses current flood insurance. If the applicant does not have flood insurance, three years’ premiums are taken from the total grant amount allowable and a policy purchased by the City on behalf of the homeowner.

IV.      Selection Criteria. Applications will be reviewed by the City’s Project Repair Advisory Committee according to the following criteria:

  1. The application meets the minimum eligibility criteria.

  2. Preference will be given to applicants aged 65 years and older; to applicants with mental or physical disabilities; and to single parents with children under 17 years of age.

  3. Preference will be given to homes located in neighborhoods targeted for revitalization--the Historic District, including the Northwest Quadrant and Higginsville.

  4. Preference will be given to homes considered to be contributing properties in the “Beaufort County Above Ground Historic Resources Survey” dated 1998 on file in the City of Beaufort Planning Department.

  5. Preference will be given for projects that address code-related issues.

V.        Funding. The program will involve direct, interest-free loans of up to $7,500 per dwelling unit[1]. These loans are forgivable after three (3) years if the homeowner remains in the home for that period. Grants/loans are payable upon completion of approved work. Work must be completed within nine months of award of grant.

VI.      Repayment. Grant recipients will sign an agreement with the City that if ownership of the home is conveyed to a party outside the direct family for any reason, within three (3) years of receipt of grant monies, the grant will be repaid in full.

VII.     Program Administration. The City of Beaufort Department of Planning and Community Development will administer the Project Repair program in conjunction with the Codes Enforcement Division and the Finance Department. Applications shall be reviewed by a five-member citizen Project Repair Advisory Committee.

VIII.   Method of Application. Persons seeking assistance should contact the City of Beaufort Planning Department to request an application form. All applications received will be kept on file regardless of eligibility. Applicants who may be more appropriate for another program will be referred to that agency.

[1]As additional funds are secured, this amount could be increased.