Alton resumes housing rehabilitation program

Katie ArnoldJP In The News, News

From the Advantage.

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The city of Alton has resumed Home Rehabilitation Program activity, which had been on hiatus because of the COVID-19 pandemic.  The program provides up to $10,000 as a forgivable grant for home repairs to address structural deficiencies, handicap accessibility, and life safety issues.

Justine Petersen Housing Corp. is the third-party program administrator and handles all application intake, reviews and processing on behalf of the city. Applicants must apply directly to Justine Petersen or contact the Department of Planning & Development for additional program inquiries. In an effort to address the program backlog, the city of Alton is not accepting new applications at this time. Further announcements will be forthcoming when new applications are being accepted.

While the city of Alton is not accepting new applications for the Home Rehabilitation Program, it continues to accept applications for its HOMEownership Program. The program provides approved applicants with a $3,000 forgivable grant for down payment and closing cost assistance when purchasing a home within the city of Alton. Prospective applicants are encouraged to contact a local mortgage lender to apply.

Income eligibility guidelines apply to each respective program.

To date, the city has assisted 30 low- to moderate-income homeowners with home repairs totaling $263,000.  Since 2013, the HOMEownership program has assisted 189 home buyers, totaling $567,000 in monetary assistance for home purchases.

“The purpose of these programs is to stabilize neighborhoods and encourage home ownership,” Mayor Brant Walker said. “Both programs have proven to be a successful part of the city’s strategy to revitalize our neighborhoods and encourage investment.”

For more information about both programs, contact Director of Planning & Development Greg Caffey at (618) 463-3801.