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The City of Cleveland has announced the opening of applications for its ARPA-funded home repair programs, designed to assist homeowners with home repair, maintenance, and rehabilitation. Applications will be accepted until 5 p.m. on Wednesday, August 21, 2024.
To start the pre-approval process, homeowners need to complete a simple, universal online form. After the pre-approval period, the Department of Community Development will review applications to establish basic eligibility. Due to high demand, a lottery process will select 150 eligible applicants to ensure fair and equitable distribution of projects citywide. Applicants must be owner-occupants with current property taxes, and all applications must be submitted online as city staff cannot process applications in-person or over the phone.
Last summer, Cleveland committed $10 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) to citywide home repair programs, with an additional $5 million earmarked to accelerate neighborhood revitalization through home repair as part of Mayor Bibb’s Southeast Side Promise. The City also received a $2.5 million philanthropic grant from KeyBank in August 2023 to further boost these programs.
Mayor Justin M. Bibb stated, “For the past 11 months we have been working diligently behind the scenes to lay a foundation that sets these critical programs up for success. We know the need is great and we are committed to maximizing these resources and working with partners to accelerate our ability to improve the quality of housing in Cleveland.”
Since the enabling legislation, the City has awarded grant agreements to five nonprofits — Greater Cleveland Habitat for Humanity, CHN Housing Partners, Cleveland Restoration Society, Local Initiatives Support Corporation (LISC) Cleveland, and Community Housing Solutions. These organizations will receive funding to administer loans and grants to assist low-income residents with home repairs.
Each nonprofit will facilitate its own programs, receiving pre-qualified projects through the City’s application and lottery process. Generally, home repair programs offer loans and grants up to $30,000 for work on roofs, HVAC systems, exterior violations, and similar repairs. The City of Cleveland team will manage the initial intake and match qualified applicants with the best program to meet their needs.
City Council President Blaine A. Griffin highlighted the importance of these programs, saying, “Councilmembers hear from residents every day about the urgent need for resources to help them maintain their homes. Addressing housing insecurity has always been a priority for Cleveland City Council. From the Lead Safe Ordinance and the Home Repair Assistance we championed to Right to Counsel, we have advocated for quality housing options.”
As of today, 27 properties already in the queue for city home repair programs have been repaired through Habitat for Humanity and Community Housing Solutions, and 33 wait-listed properties are currently under contract or have repairs in progress. Additionally, 150 Southeast Side homeowners have been invited to pre-qualify for ARPA home repair assistance based on Cleveland’s recent citywide property condition survey and their location in the Southeast Side Promise investment area.
Alyssa Hernandez, Cleveland’s Director of Community Development, emphasized the fair distribution process, stating, “We know the need is greater than the dollars we have, and not everybody will receive support this time around. This is why we established the lottery process to ensure that all eligible applications have the same shot at being selected. We are also actively working on increasing our capacity, both internally and with contractors, to expedite federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) to help Cleveland residents with home repair assistance.”
The city expects to complete the eligibility review and notify those selected through the lottery process by September 30, 2024.