MARIETTA — Low- and moderate-income homeowners in Hocking, Athens and Perry counties will get help with critical home repairs under a $300,000 state grant announced this week by State Representative Kevin Ritter.
The funding goes to Hocking Athens Perry Community Action, which will provide essential repairs and handicapped accessibility modifications for homeowners at or below 50 percent of the area median income in the three counties.
The grant comes from the Ohio Department of Development’s Housing Assistance Grant Program, which uses Ohio Housing Trust Fund dollars. The department recently announced $6.8 million in grants statewide to help improve housing and provide down payment assistance for nearly 1,200 low- and moderate-income Ohioans.
Qualifying repairs include heating systems, water heaters, plumbing, severely deteriorated roofs, walls, windows, doors and hazardous electrical systems. The nonprofit will contract with local qualified construction companies to complete the work.
“This funding provides an opportunity to help more families when they need an essential repair or an accessibility update completed in their home,” Ritter said. “It’s great to see resources allocated specifically for Southeast Ohio so work can be done in the community to ensure safe housing and a better quality of life for residents.”
Housing advocates say essential repairs are one of the most urgent needs in Appalachian Ohio, where aging housing stock and limited incomes leave many families unable to fix failing roofs, furnaces or wiring.
The Housing Assistance Grant Program also supports limited down payment assistance and homebuyer education through nonprofits across the state. Hocking Athens Perry Community Action said it will begin scheduling eligible homeowners once the grant funds are in hand.