APCHA extends essential home repairs pilot grant program applications
Up to $10,000 can be granted to homeowners to enhance health, safety of their properties
Austin Colbert/The Aspen Times
The Aspen-Pitkin County Housing Authority (APCHA) has extended the application process for its newly-created Home Repairs Pilot Grant Program, which aims to assist qualified APCHA homeowners facing issues that threaten the health and safety of their households. Grant applications are being accepted until the pilot program funding is depleted.
“As we began accepting and reviewing applications for essential home repairs, we realized that individuals were not providing necessary information in order for APCHA to approve them for grants, so we are asking for homeowners’ cooperation in providing all required documentation up front, so we can streamline the process,” said APCHA Executive Director Matthew Gillen. “This is a fantastic opportunity for homeowners who face expensive repairs, and we want them to be successful in their participation in this pilot program.”
APCHA also has revamped the application process and now requires applicants to provide complete packets, including a quote for the repair from a contractor or industry professional.
Since the program was rolled out in mid-October, APCHA has received 45 applications, and 14 of them were approved for grants, totaling just over $91,000 that will go toward essential repairs in their units. A total of 89 repairs have been requested.
The grant application process had an end date of Oct. 30. However, due to the complexity of reviewing and approving applications, the opportunity to apply has been extended and will be open on a rolling basis until funding is depleted.
The program offers a maximum grant of $10,000 to address critical conditions, with the grant amount and required match determined by a homeowner’s requalification income category at the time of application.
The full program guidelines and application process can be found at docs.google.com/forms/d/e/1FAIpQLSdo_TQ94_fG_-KnaGaiPj5XgaRVO5boFR1ixqGIaiFN_AvT8w/viewform.
This pilot program is made possible by Aspen City Council and the Board of Pitkin County Commissioners, which each allocated $200,000 going toward essential home repairs.
To be eligible for the housing repairs grant program, applicants must meet the following qualifications:
· Applicants must be APCHA deed-restricted category 1-3 homeowners, based on the previous year’s income.
· Homeowners must be up to date on their HOA dues, taxes, and in good standing with APCHA, with no outstanding notice of violations, and comply with the current deed restriction.
· Assistance eligibility is based on a simplified partial requalification process, with the required match percentage determined by the requalification category.
· Owners must provide this information for anyone on the title of the unit, including last year’s W2 or 1099, last year’s tax return, and current employment verification.
Applicants can provide forms in person at the APCHA office located at 18 Truscott Place, or upload forms to their personal account on HomeTrek.
Eligible repair categories under the program include essential repairs necessary to improve the health and safety of living conditions for residents. Categories include: inoperable furnaces or water heaters, hazardous plumbing or electrical conditions, roof hazards, heating issues, flooring hazards, accessibility modifications (e.g., ramps, grab bars, or shower replacements), septic system issues, window repairs, and ceiling repairs. Repairs that fall under the responsibility of a homeowner rather than an HOA are eligible, and only individual applications will be accepted.
The repairs program has several key goals, including testing the internal processes of a home improvement program. That necessitates piloting a program to evaluate how an internal APCHA capital improvement program would function within established policies and procedures.
Another goal is to measure the need within the program, which allows the agency to collect data on properties, repairs and owners in most need of repairs, and tracking the average cost of repairs.
Additionally, the pilot program supports aging properties in the APCHA Inventory.
For more information, please visit apcha.org.
