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Guilford Receives $442,000 in State Funding for Housing Improvements

In late June 2018, the Town of Guilford received some good news from the state. The town has been selected to receive $400,000 in funding through the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Small Cities program. Now in December, there is even more good news: The total grant award has gone up and the town is getting ready to start putting the funds to use.

The total grant is now $442,000 and the program will allow low- to moderate-income Guilford residents apply for funds through the program to make their homes safer, healthier, and more efficient.

“It’s federal department of housing money that is funneled through the state” through CDBGs, First Selectman Matt Hoey said. “This one is specifically for housing rehabilitation for folks in low income housing for safety and energy improvements to their home that they cannot necessarily afford to do themselves or need assistance in doing so.”

At a Board of Selectmen (BOS) meeting on Dec. 3, the board approved Hoey signing all documents related to the grant program. The money is given to towns with a population of fewer than 50,0000. To qualify for the money, homeowners must be up to date on municipal taxes, have 10 percent equity in the home, and not exceed a limited annual income threshold based on the number of people in the home.

“The money can be doled out to qualified individuals based on an income test and up to $30,000 per individual project,” said Hoey. “When we applied for this, we had to submit a list of 10 folks who could submit to us a letter of intent to participate in the program based on the criteria. We had 43 people identify themselves as potential beneficiaries.”

The grant is designed to help current homeowners upgrade their existing homes to ensure the home is safe and compliant. Possible uses for the grant money already identified include replacing failed furnaces, roofs, windows, and septic system, and adding ADA modifications to homes such as entrance ramps and bathroom modifications. The grant has income thresholds, but Hoey said the money isn’t limited to those living in affordable or age-restricted housing.

“It can be anybody,” he said. “There are a lot of folks living on the edge and they don’t have the money to do the repairs that they need and/or the energy efficiency enhancements.”

While the money comes to the town, the town will not be directly responsible for managing or handing out the grant monies. Back when the town first applied for this grant, it used grant consultant Lisa Low of Low and Associates to help the town through the intricacies of federal and state grant processes. That same group will help lead the town through the administration of the grant, according to Hoey.

“They will help manage these projects,” he said. “They will do the bidding, they will hire the contractors, the money will come through us and we will pay it out according to their directions... There will be a project manager for this and he will manage these projects. The money doesn’t go directly to the homeowners. It gets distributed through this reimbursement process through Low and Associates.”

Hoey said this is a great opportunity for residents and said applications for residents to apply for this funding will go live on the town website— www.ci.guilford.ct.us/—in the coming weeks.