The City of Lincoln has been awarded a $300,000 housing grant through the “Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) – Housing Rehabilitation” program by the KS Department of Commerce. The CDBG grant will help property owners within a target area of the city with the demolition of dilapidated structures and the rehabilitation of owner- and renter-occupied houses by replacing roofs, windows and siding, adding insulation, repairing foundations, upgrading electrical and mechanical systems, repairing porches, etc.
The deadline for applications is August 15, 2023!
Target Area
Application
- Applications are only available by hard copy and can be picked up from City Hall.
- Once completed, applications with original signatures must be turned in to City Hall. Emailed applications cannot be accepted.
- Grant funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis.
- Applications are not considered complete, and will not be put in the queue for funding, until ALL required documentation has been submitted.
Program Information
- Presentation at CDBG Public Meeting outlining all details of the program – Please review as it outlines many important details of the program
Eligibility Requirements
For housing rehabilitation projects, the following requirements must be met:
- The occupant of the house (either owner or renter) meets income qualifications (not required for demolition projects).
- If the property is a rental, the owner doesn’t need to meet income qualifications but the tenant must.
- All property taxes and utilities must be current on the property.
- The property requires $1,000-25,000 in improvements to be rehabilitated to Housing Quality Standards (HQS). If the property requires more than $25,000 in improvements, the property owner will need to provide additional funds towards the project or the property is not eligible.
- Property owner must insure the property for at least three (3) years after completion of the project and name the City of Lincoln as co-insured.
- Property owner must sign a 3-year soft loan and/or rental unit agreement at final application time.
For demolition projects, the following requirements must be met:
- All property taxes and utilities must be current on the property.
- Owner will be responsible for seeding and mowing the lot after demolition.
- All items of value must be removed from the house.
Ineligible Activities
- Improvements to mobile homes
- Remodeling
- Improvements being completed by the property owner him/herself
Income Criteria
- Based on total household (HH) income – the income of all individuals living in the household
- 2021 Form 1040 tax returns must be submitted as proof of income
- 1 Person Household (HH) = max of $41,100
- 2 Person HH = max of $47,000
- 3 Person HH = max of $52,850
- 4 Person HH = max of $58,700
- 5 Person HH = max of $63,400
- 6 Person HH = max of $68,100
- 7 Person HH = max of $72,800
- 8 Person HH = max of $77,500
Frequently Asked Questions
- Why is only a targeted area of the city eligible and not the entire city? In the grant application, the Kansas Department of Commerce requires cities to define a target area. The idea being concentrating funds in a smaller area leads to more noticeable change and impacts rather than spreading it out across a city. Last year while the City was preparing their grant application, they accepted pre-applications from anybody in the city that was interested in the program. These pre-applications determined where there was the greatest amount of need and interest. In the future, the LCEDF will continue to work with the city to apply for additional grants for other areas of town. The City of Sylvan Grove received this same grant several years ago.
- If I didn’t fill out a pre-application last year, can I still apply for funding? Yes, last year’s pre-applications were simply to help the city prepare their grant application to determine a target area. Any property owner within the target area is able to apply for funding. Keep in mind, funding is limited.
- Am I totally out of luck for housing assistance if I’m not in the target area? There are several other housing programs available right now. Please see “Housing Programs” to find a program that might be right for your situation.
For questions, contact Keegan Bailey, Housing Director at the North Central Regional Planning Commission in Beloit at 800-432-0303.
