EASTHAMPTON — A recently awarded $800,000 grant will allow seniors and low- to moderate-income homeowners to receive financial assistance for home improvements, as well as provide the city with funding for infrastructure updates.
The Community Development Block Grant from the state Department of Community Development will be divided into allocations of $340,000 to Charles Street infrastructure improvements; slightly under $200,000 to a New City neighborhood planning study; $135,000 to the city’s Housing Rehabilitation Program; and $50,000 to its Aging in Place program. The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission (PVPC) will use the remaining funding to finance the program administration.
This funding will allow the city to provide grants of up to $5,000 to around 15 housing units as part of the Aging in Place program, and assistance and deferred payment loans of up to $35,000 to three or four housing units under the Housing Rehabilitation program.
The city’s Aging in Place program addresses safety and quality of life issues for senior residents, said Assistant City Planner Jamie Webb, with the goal of allowing seniors to continue living in their own homes. This program is geared towards relatively small fixes, such as installing handrails, grab bars, ramps, non-slip stair treads, and smoke and carbon monoxide detectors.
“These small improvements are not that expensive to do,” Webb said, “but they’re the difference between someone being able to live comfortably in their own home and someone who can’t live in their own home, or someone who … could have tripping hazards or fire hazards.”
To quality, residents must be at least 65 years old and make no more than 80% of the area median income by household size. A two-person household, for example, qualifies with a total income of up to $54,650. A chart showing income eligibility by household size can be accessed through the Planning Department’s forms and documents webpage under “Current Projects.”
Those applying for assistance from the Housing Rehabilitation program can be homeowners of any age, but must meet the same income requirements that classify their income as low to moderate. This program funds more expensive, involved repairs that bring houses up to code and address other safety and functionality issues.
The Pioneer Valley Planning Commission completes the evaluations and coordinates repairs for residents who qualify for both programs. The organization administers the programs on a first-come, first-serve basis. Easthampton residents can apply to a waitlist for the programs by calling PVPC Housing Coordinator Shirley Stephens at 413-781-6045.
The two programs are targeted towards homeowners. The city launched an emergency rental assistance program last month for renters who are at least one month behind on their rent payments, or at immediate risk of falling behind on these payments, which Webb said has drawn high interest.
In addition to funding housing improvements, the Community Development Block Grant will also finance infrastructure improvements on Charles Street and an evaluation of improvements needed in the New City neighborhood.
Construction on Charles Street will include sewer line replacements, street and sidewalk improvements such as paving, and stormwater drainage updates. The existing storm sewer and sanitation infrastructure was installed between 1905 and 1916, and few improvements have been made since this time.
This work will likely begin in late spring or early summer, Webb said, and conclude by the fall. Residents may experience some inconveniences due to construction at this time, Webb said, but she does not anticipate significant traffic interruptions for people passing through the area.
The Planning Department more recently identified the New City neighborhood as underserved with outdated infrastructure, Webb said, and the grant will allow the city to carry out a comprehensive evaluation and plan for addressing these shortfalls.
“A lot of the sewer lines, water lines and drainage lines have not been touched since they were installed almost 100 years ago,” Webb said, “so many of them are just at the end of their lifespan.
“If you walk around that neighborhood, you can also see the streets are in bad shape, the sidewalks are in bad shape,” she said.
The evaluation is just the first step in addressing these infrastructure issues in the New City neighborhood, Webb said, and the actual construction will begin at some point within the next 10 years. The city will implement the fixes in phases as officials continue applying for the state grant.