The Village of Ilion has worked for more than a year to bring a housing rehabilitation project to fruition, as changes made by the state and federal government resulted in numerous roadblocks
The village board on Thursday seems to have cleared the final hurdle, however.
Final approvals are being made to send the 12 housing rehabilitation projects out to bid for contractors interested in the work.
The projects will utilize a $300,000 grant from the 2009 HOME program, which provides federal funds for low-income housing rehabilitation.
The village has conducted countless projects and provided millions of dollars in housing improvements through similar versions of the federal program, which is now administered by the state, according to Don Denapole, of Community Services in Middleville, and manager of the village’s program.
But the positive changes in this year’s program are also what contributed to holding up the project, he said.
Prior programs only awarded the full grant amount that municipalities applied for, but this year the village received $300,000 instead of $500,000, Denapole said.
While a positive that the village received funds, the difference required a re-submitted project plan. It also called for a reduction in the number of projects from 21 to 12, which the program officials said would require the village to hold a raffle to pick from eligible project applicants.
After meeting both of the new requirements, the village had its income eligible projects. The income eligibility for a family of one was $19,550, down from $31,500 in the past, and a family of four was $27,900, down from $44,000 in the past, according to Denapole. And they consisted of nine residents above the age of 65 and three under that age.
In keeping with the push for energy efficiency standards, the new program now requires all projects to meet guidelines for energy, according to Denapole.
The projects will now involve new Energy Star appliances, light bulbs and other improvements deemed necessary by energy audits.
Although the new energy audits and features will make the projects more efficient, the implementation required another step, Denapole said. But the extra step also allowed the village to save some program funds, he added.
The village incorporated Mohawk Valley Community Action to conduct energy audits to pick the energy features. The agency utilized its own federal funds for energy audits of homes to assist the project.
Three of the nine projects in Ilion received $6,500 each in MVCA weatherization energy audit funds, and the remaining homes had audits conducted from the village’s grant funds.
The result of the new program guidelines, while causing delays, may ultimately mean better projects for the residents in the end, however.
“This will be the most comprehensive housing rehabilitation program this village has done to date,” Denapole said.
Village officials hope to begin construction on the projects in September.
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The Village of Ilion has worked for more than a year to bring a housing rehabilitation project to fruition, as changes made by the state and federal government resulted in numerous roadblocks
The village board on Thursday seems to have cleared the final hurdle, however.
Final approvals are being made to send the 12 housing rehabilitation projects out to bid for contractors interested in the work.
The projects will utilize a $300,000 grant from the 2009 HOME program, which provides federal funds for low-income housing rehabilitation.
The village has conducted countless projects and provided millions of dollars in housing improvements through similar versions of the federal program, which is now administered by the state, according to Don Denapole, of Community Services in Middleville, and manager of the village’s program.
But the positive changes in this year’s program are also what contributed to holding up the project, he said.
Prior programs only awarded the full grant amount that municipalities applied for, but this year the village received $300,000 instead of $500,000, Denapole said.
While a positive that the village received funds, the difference required a re-submitted project plan. It also called for a reduction in the number of projects from 21 to 12, which the program officials said would require the village to hold a raffle to pick from eligible project applicants.
After meeting both of the new requirements, the village had its income eligible projects. The income eligibility for a family of one was $19,550, down from $31,500 in the past, and a family of four was $27,900, down from $44,000 in the past, according to Denapole. And they consisted of nine residents above the age of 65 and three under that age.
In keeping with the push for energy efficiency standards, the new program now requires all projects to meet guidelines for energy, according to Denapole.
The projects will now involve new Energy Star appliances, light bulbs and other improvements deemed necessary by energy audits.
Although the new energy audits and features will make the projects more efficient, the implementation required another step, Denapole said. But the extra step also allowed the village to save some program funds, he added.
The village incorporated Mohawk Valley Community Action to conduct energy audits to pick the energy features. The agency utilized its own federal funds for energy audits of homes to assist the project.
Three of the nine projects in Ilion received $6,500 each in MVCA weatherization energy audit funds, and the remaining homes had audits conducted from the village’s grant funds.
The result of the new program guidelines, while causing delays, may ultimately mean better projects for the residents in the end, however.
“This will be the most comprehensive housing rehabilitation program this village has done to date,” Denapole said.
Village officials hope to begin construction on the projects in September.
