The city of Athens is considering collaborating with Athens County and the city of Nelsonville on a grant that could rehabilitate several low-to-moderate income homes and rental properties throughout the city.
This type of grant, a Community Housing Improvement Grant that is funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development and administered through the Hocking-Athens-Perry Community Action group, wouldn’t be new to the city.
Athens was already approved the $400,000 grant in September to repair 13 homes while rehabilitating three private properties and two rentals; however, the grant can only be applied for every two years.
Collaborating with Nelsonville and Athens County, both of which are now eligible for the grant, could put an extra $200,000 in the city’s pocket and extend its contract by a year, Gregg Andrews, Director of Housing and Community Development for HAPCAP, said at Monday night’s city council meeting.
Applying for this grant with Athens County and Nelsonville wouldn’t just allow Athens to apply for the grant a year earlier, it would also put the government entities in “sync,” Andrews said, making it so that they could apply for similar grants as a whole in the future.
“This year the city of Nelsonville and Athens County are eligible to apply for the grant, but to facilitate the bundling, the city of Athens can get in on that now,” Andrews said. “The funding levels are higher if you partner, last year it was $400,000 per grantee. Athens County would only be eligible for that if they didn’t bundle, but if partnered they’re eligible for $450,000.”
Andrews added that the grants are competitive, and bundling the cities and county would increase their chances of approval.
“The dollars are shrinking, and it’s measured on a point system,” Andrews said. “There are 30 points available, but if the county doesn’t bundle with the city - we lose those points.”
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