HENDERSON (KTNV) — We all know home repairs could be costly and many of us don't have the funds to make the changes.
However, during a Henderson City Council meeting Tuesday afternoon, council members unanimously approved a new program that could help residents with repairs impacting health and safety.
Watch | What this new repair program could do for you
"We think will help different population of the city and we want to give it a shot," said a City of Henderson official.
The new program is called the Homeowner Repair Pilot Program and provides financial aid to low-to-moderate-income homeowners in addressing urgent safety, health and environmental concerns on their property.
It will replace the City’s Block Wall Repair Loan Program, which provided loans to qualified property owners for the repair of structurally unsound perimeter masonry walls.
The city decided to offer the new program after noticing additional homeowner repair needs in the community, including mitigation of water waste and blight, appliance replacement and other habitability improvements.
"A lot of our veterans and stuff, getting out and just doing normal maintenance on their house is really difficult, so the fact that Henderson wants to step up and do that is a huge thing," said Lycrisim Waterhouse, who lives in the area.
While the City Manager will have final decision-making authority on specific program rules, staff currently envisions the following requirements for eligible homeowners:
- Reside in the City of Henderson.
- Use the home as their primary residence.
- Have an outstanding violation from OPR or the Department of Utility Services (DUS) on their property or require minor ADA retrofits.
- Meet low/moderate-income thresholds (at or below a certain % of Area Median Income, as defined by HUD.
Types of Assistance
1. Urgent Repair Assistance:
- Grants up to $4,000 for immediate concerns such as appliance replacement, solid-waste cleanup, and landscaping & irrigation repairs.
2. Non-emergency assistance (medium scale projects):
- Grants up to $12,000 for more extensive repairs, such as pool equipment or window replacement, subject to additional eligibility requirements and potential repayment obligations upon sale of the home.
Eligibility would be determined through internal referrals from the Department of Utility Services or the Office of Public Response and would be contingent on income level and property conditions.
Once the funding ends so will the program, but council members could decide to reallocate funds to the program.
Watch | Public safety and affordable housing: Top priority in Henderson State of the City
