St. Charles residents can now apply to get up to $20,000 for urgent home repair work via a new city grant program, St. Charles officials recently announced.
The city’s Urgent Need Home Rehab Grant Program was launched in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley, and is meant to help income-qualified homeowners in St. Charles with urgent home repairs, according to a recent press release from the city.
The program was approved by the St. Charles City Council in December, the press release noted, and provides grants of up to $20,000 for urgent repair needs, such as work on roofs, windows and mechanical systems.
The program is being funded by the St. Charles Housing Trust Fund and is administered in partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley, according to the city.
The city’s Housing Trust Fund is dedicated to providing affordable housing opportunities in St. Charles, according to the press release. It’s funded through fees paid by developers in lieu of providing affordable housing. The St. Charles Housing Commission, an advisory body to the City Council, provides guidance to the council on how the funds are used.
“This grant helps make house repairs more affordable, keeping homes safe, and families stable, rooted in the communities they call home,” the city’s Director of Community Development Russell Colby said in the press release.
This new program is different from the city’s existing Home Rehab & Accessibility Loan Program in that it provides grants, not loans, to homeowners earning at or below 60% of the Area Median Income, or AMI, the release noted. The Home Rehab & Accessibility Loan Program, which provides 0% interest loans to homeowners at or below 80% of the AMI, will continue to be offered by the city in partnership with Kane County and administered by Community Contacts, Inc.
Applications for the Urgent Need Home Rehab Grant Program are being accepted on a first-come, first-served basis, the city said. Additional information on eligibility requirements and application materials is available on the city’s website: https://www.stcharlesil.gov/Government/Departments/Community-Development/Planning/Urgent-Need-Home-Rehab-Grant-Program?utm_medium=email&utm_source=govdelivery.