Dutchess program provides funding and assistance to eligible families
Dutchess County Executive Marcus J. Molinaro has announced applications are being accepted for Dutchess County’s Senior Citizen Property Rehabilitation Program, which provides funding and project assistance to senior citizens to complete minor to moderate rehabilitation on their homes.
The program provides zero-percent loans and deferred payment loans up to $20,000 to income-eligible senior citizens in order to make repairs to “major systems” such as roofs, furnaces, decks/porches, structures, handicapped accessibility, electricity and plumbing. Eligible applicants receive assistance with determining the scope of the necessary repairs, bidding out the project, selecting a contractor and ensuring all the work is done as specified to meet applicable building codes.
Eligible applicants must be 62 years of age or older at the time of application and their total household income must be below the following maximums:
Family size = 1: $46,100
Family size = 2: $52,650
Family size = 3: $59,250
Family size = 4: $65,800
Households making between 0–50 percent of the county median receive deferred payment loans repaid when the homeowner leaves or sells the property. Households making between 50–80 percent of the county median receive 0 percent interest loans repaid through a monthly payment.
Eligible properties include single-family detached properties. The federal funding source for this program limits assistance to “modest” homes. In Dutchess County, a home must be valued at or below $238,000 for 2015 to be eligible for the program. Mobile homes, condominiums and townhouses are not eligible for the program.
For complete eligibility guidelines, contact the Dutchess County Department of Planning and Development, 27 High St. in Poughkeepsie at 845-486-3600 or access the application on the county’s website at co.dutchess.ny.us.
