HOME Program

  1. Home
  2. Departments
  3. HOME Program

Overview

The Home Investment Partnership (HOME) Program is the largest Federal block grant to State and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable, safe housing for low to moderate-income households. For the initial round of funds (anticipated to be awarded in the Spring of 2021) only Existing Owner-Occupied homes located in Greene County are eligible for this program.  The program will be available on a first come first serve basis until funds are depleted.

The intent of this program is to provide no interest loans to assist with rehabilitating homes with code and/or safety issues in order to preserve, improve, and stabilize the current housing stock in Greene County.  A lien will be placed on the property for a 5-year period. The forgivable loan will have no payments due and will convert to a grant as long as the homeowner does not sell the home for 5 years following rehabilitation and continues to live in the home for the 5 year period (cannot convert to a rental).  As long as these conditions are met, the lien will be removed and the loan will convert to a grant that will be fully forgiven.  

Please visit the links below to learn more about eligibility criteria and to print an application. 

Contact Information

Greene County Office Building
93 E. High Street Second Floor
Suite 215
Waynesburg, PA 15370
Get Directions
Hours of Operation: M-F, 8:30AM to 4:30 PM

Department Contacts:

Crystal Simmons
Director
Nikki Mickens
CDBG/HOME Associate

Home Investment Partnership (HOME) Program

The HOME  Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is an entitlement funding created primarily to support the development of affordable housing. HOME provides general guidelines to local governments to design affordable housing strategies that address local needs and housing conditions. The funds may be used for such activities as tenant based rental assistance, homebuyer’s assistance, property acquisition, new construction, rehabilitation, site improvements, demolition, relocation, and administrative costs.

All HOME funded housing rehabilitation will be targeted to low-to-moderate income households.  In May of 2021, the Department of Community and Ecnomic Developement (DCED)  awarded Greene County  $500,000.00 through the HOME Program for the purpose of Existing Owner-Occupied home rehabilitation for income eligible Greene County Residents.   Please visit the "Eligibility" link to view income limits and other eligibility criteria. We are currently pre-screening applicants to be placed on the waitlist, and you may complete the pre-screening here: Applicants may complete a pre-sreening to determine initial eligibility before making a full application by visiting this link: https://form.jotform.com/211433641833147.

 You may also complete the full application online by visiting the application link tab. 

Greene County is also seeking qualified contractors to work on these projects.  Contractors must be registered with the State of Pennsylvania and have a valid HIC number.  Federal regulations require all managing contractors for each project to have a valid lead certification (or be willing to obtain the certification prior to bidding on projects).  We are currently exploring options to host a lead training locally. In the meantime, please visit the EPA's website at  https://www.epa.gov/lead/getcertified to obtain information on lead certification and testing dates/sites. 

After reviewing the other tabs regarding eligibility and requirements, please complete the pre-screening questionnaire at the following link: https://www.jotform.com/build/211433641833147

Once your pre-screening has been received, the HOME program staff will review your results to determine initial eligibility.  If you are deemed initially eligible, you will be invited to re-vist the website to complete a full application and provide supporting documentation. 

Household Income

When determining the annual income of a household, the County will use the definition of Part 5 annual income, as better defined at 24 CFR 5.609. Specifically, income shall be calculated for the 12-month period ending at the time of application. Based upon this information, staff shall make the income determination for income that will be projected over the next 12 months. All income shall be verified from the source. In the case of self-employment, staff shall accept a Schedule C or other applicable Federal schedules and/or a notarized statement from the self-employed applicant.

Income eligibility is good for a period of six months. An updated income verification will be necessary if more than six months has transpired from the initial verification to the execution of the construction contract. Please click the following link to access more detailed information regarding income determination: /resources/16287

The current income limits to receive assistance through the Greene County HOME Program are as follows:

# in Household       HUD Annual Income Limit FFY 2020
 
            1                $39,350
            2                $44,950
            3                $50,550
            4                $56,150
            5                $60,650
            6                $65,150
            7                $69,650
            8                $74,150

Ownership Documentation and Criteria

1. The home must be located in Greene County
2. The homeowner must occupy their housing unit at the time of application.
3. Presentation of a full marketable title in the form of a recorded deed will satisfy the ownership requirement.  
4. If a recoded deed cannot be presented, the following items may be accepted as evidence of ownership:
  • Any legal instrument, whether or not recorded, which may commonly be considered evidence of ownership
  • Evidence that the applicant is listed as the owner of the property by local taxing authority and that real estate taxes are paid by the applicant
  • Affidavits by others in the community that recipient has occupied the property as the apparent owner for a period of not less than ten (10) years
5. The homeowner must be current in all payment of County, local and school taxes
6. The applicant must provide proof of homeowner's insurance
7. The after-rehabilitation value of the property is modest and does not exceed 95% of the median purchase price of the area
 

Terms

The County will provide up to $35,000, as a no-interest loan, which will be forgiven if the property is not sold or transferred for at least five years after the rehabilitation is complete.  There are no credit requirements.  All applicants must meet income eligibility and prove ownership and be able to provide documentation of both income and ownership.  The property must remain the applicant’s primary dwelling place during this time. In the event the base bid should exceed the $35,000 limit, then the homeowner shall be responsible to escrow with the County the difference in monetary value. If a change order is needed due to an omission with the work write-up, the homeowner will not be liable to escrow the additional funds. The County shall also provide an additional $15,000 in funding that will be used to do rehabilitation work related to lead-based paint or radon abatement or mitigation, as required.

If it is determined that the value of the property will exceed the established maximum purchase price after rehabilitation, the property will then be considered ineligible for funding assistance.

Eligible Activities

The intent of Greene County's Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program is to correct housing code deficiencies and comply with all applicable local codes. Housing code deficiencies will be defined by way of the International Property Maintenance Code with priority focusing on health and safety problems. Therefore, property owners will only receive assistance if there are code deficiencies that need to be corrected.  No repairs will be permitted that are solely for cosmetic purposes. 

The property must have at least $1,000 in code deficiencies in order to receive funding assistance.

NOTE: If the housing inspector and the program’s housing rehabilitation specialist agree that it is not feasible to eliminate all the major housing code deficiencies (which affect the health and safety of its occupants) and lead hazards, then it shall be the County’s policy not to improve that specific housing structure.

Mobile Home Eligibility

Under the County’s Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program, mobile homes will be considered for rehabilitation assistance.
 
REQUIREMENTS: To be eligible to receive rehabilitation assistance, a mobile home must be considered as part of the permanent housing stock. To be considered as such, the mobile home must be connected to major available utilities. The trailer hitch and wheels must also be removed from the home. Additionally, the mobile homeowner must own the land on which the mobile home is located (or have a long-term lease) based on the following schedule:
 
Amount of grant assistance             Minimum period of land lease
          Under $10,000                                  5 years
          $10,000-$24,999 10 years
          Over $25,000                                 15 years

Homeowner Application and Instructions

Homeowners may print the application for assistance at the following link: /resources/16338
You may also submit your application electronically at the following link: HOME Homeowner's Application . You will have the option to upload the required documents in PDF format.   If you prefer to email, mail, or deliver the documentation after completing the online application, you may do so at the addresses listed below. A staff member will contact you if additional information is required. 

Completed applications and supporting documents may be mailed to:

Greene County HOME Program
93 E. High Street, Rm 215
Waynesburg, PA 15370

Applications and documents may also be scanned and emailed to: nmickens@co.greene.pa.us

Please be advised that applications must be complete and all supporting documents must be included in order for the application to be processed.  Successful applicants will be placed on the waitlist. 

Applicants will be advised of the status of their application within three (3) business days via email if an email address is provided.  If no email address is provided, a letter will be mailed and postmarked within three (3) business days of receipts of application.  Actual delivery times to your mailing address will be dependent upon the postal service in your area. 

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED WITH APPLICATION:

1. Proof of ownership
  • Deed. 
  • If deed is not available, please refer to the Ownership Criteria tab for information regarding other acceptable proof of ownership.
2. Proof of Income
    i . W-2 employees
  • Past 30 days of paystubs
  •  W-2 (Year 2020) OR certified copy of 2020 tax return
  ii. Self Employed
  • Schedule "C" from 2020 Federal tax return
  • 2 most recent bank statements (showing deposit source and amounts, all other information regarding purchases may be redacted)
 iii. Public Assistance/TANF
  • Benefit determination letter from DHHR evidencing monthly income received from TANF or other cash assistance program
  • 2 most recent bank statements (showing deposit source and amounts, all other information regarding purchases may be redacted)
  • Card statements (if benefits are deposited to pre-paid card)
 iv. SSI/SSA/SSD, VA, Pension, Retirement, other income
  • Benefit Determination letter/Pension Verification letter/VA benefit verification
  • 2 most recent bank statements showing deposits
3. Property Taxes
  • Receipt verifying payment of most recent property taxes
4. Homeowners Insurance
  • Copy of homeowner's policy evidencing coverage limits and coverage period




       

Contractors

Interested in becoming a contractor with the Greene County HOME Program?  Please review the information below.  Interested contractors may  apply online at the following link: https://form.jotform.com/210053494521144 .  The online application includes the option to upload required documents.  If you prefer to complete the application online but hand deliver, mail, or email the supporting documents, you may complete the online application form and send the required documents via the contact methods listed below. 

If you prefer to print and mail the application and supporting documents, please click the following link: /resources/16286 and return the application by mail to:

Greene County HOME Program
93 E High Street, Rm 215
Waynesburg, PA 15370

or by email: nmickens@co.greene.pa.us

Contractors are required to be licensced through the State of Pennsylvania (Home Improvement Contractor License), carry insurance, have or be willing to obtain EPA lead certification (one day course), and be willing to register with the federal System for Award Management (SAM). It is free to register with SAM, and we recommend doing so if you decide to apply since it can take a few weeks for your registration to become active in the system. 
 

Greene Co. HOME Press Releases and Events

For Immedate Release 12/28/2020
Greene County Announces Intent to Administer HOME Program
Full release: /resources/16288

Upcoming Projects

5/24/2021 Greene County HOME Program is seeking proposals from qualified lead, radon, and asbestos consultants . Please review the full notice regarding the request for qualifications at the following link: https://www.co.greene.pa.us/resources/19453



5/24/2021 Greene County HOME Program is rseeking proposals for a Residential Building Inspector to complete projects for the HOME Program.  Please review the information at the following link: https://www.co.greene.pa.us/resources/19454


If you have any questions or would like to request a RFP/RFQ packet, please email nmickens@co.greene.pa.us or call 724-852-5260