Wilmington will launch a new program to help homeowners with repairs.
The Homeowner Repair Program is a partnership between the city and Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County, and it starts on Monday.
The program permits residents to apply for up to $10,000 in home repairs, but Director of Real Estate and Housing in Wilmington Bob Weir says that number is not set in concrete.
"So what we're looking to do as far as a budget is to say $10,000. We'd like not to have that a hard number one way or the other. We know that with one critical repair, we also know that materials and labor has gone up. So that we are prepared for a number that fixes the problem not necessarily a hard number that we can't go over," said Weir.
City officials note deferred maintenance can be a quick path to a vacant home.
The goal of the program is to bring resources and repairs to homeowners most in need. Applicants must be at or below 80% of the Area Median Income which is $69,000 for a one-person household. For a four-person household it’s about $98,000 or $99,000. So, for each person you can add about $10,000.
Javier Horstmann is the director of special projects for Wilmington Mayor John Carney. He explains a perk in the partnership with Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County.
"They also do some extra things along with contracting the actual repairs like they do energy review of the home, to make sure that they are able to save some money on their electrical bills,” said Horstmann. “So folks aren't just getting home repairs addressed, they're also getting evaluated for other needs by our connection with Habitat."
The program has a total allocation of $500,000, and it is first come, first serve. You can apply or print out applications on the city’s website.
