The Daily Southerner, Tarboro, NC

Local News

August 16, 2012

Edgecombe receives $75k house repair grant

Staff Writer Calvin Adkins

TARBORO — Edgecombe County recently received a $75,000 Urgent Repair Program grant from the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency that will allow the county to assist 10 to 12 low income residents in repairing their houses.  

Edgecombe County Planning Director Ola Pittman described urgent repair as, "a household that pose imminent threats to the lives of the people who live in the house."

Pittman said dysfunctional heating and air conditioning units are included on the list and the grant will allow the repair of up to $6,000 on each qualified house.  

To qualify, applicants must live in the non-Rocky Mount portion of Edgecombe County, have a gross household income from $17,000 to $33,000 and have at least one special needs person who lives in the house. For the purpose of the program, a special needs person is someone 62 years or older, a handicapped or disabled person, a single parent with a dependent living in the household, a large household with five or more people or a household with a child 6 or younger with an elevated blood lead level.

The deadline to apply for the application is Friday, Aug. 31. The selection committee will not base its selection on first come, first serve basis but rather by the applicants whose homes are in the most dire need of repairs, Pittman said.

Applications can be picked up in the county's planning department, located on the second floor of the Edgecombe County Administration Building.

"This is a great opportunity for qualified applicants who are not able to fix their homes for various reasons to have their home repaired by the county," Pittman said. "And repairing these homes is good for the entire county."

Edgecombe County has been in the forefront of repairing houses since 1978, Pittman said. Since the 1999 Hurricane Floyd flood that destroyed hundreds of houses, the county has become more vigilant in its efforts.

One of the latest efforts was In 2010 when the county renovated four homes at a cost of $45,000 each.

"We try to get funds every year to repair homes," said Edgecombe County Manager Lorenzo Carmon. "We try to fix at least 20 houses a year."

Pittman explained the county's repair and renovation projects brings houses up to standard according to the county minimum housing code that was adopted in Oct. 2003.

Edgecombe often qualifies for housing repair and renovation grants because its is a Tier 1 county.  

 

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