HOME & REPAIR Programs

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Overview

AS OF DECEMBER 2022, WE HAVE PAUSED ACCEPTING NEW APPLICATIONS FOR HOME & REPAIR PROGRAMS TO ALLOW US TO WORK THROUGH THE EXTENSIVE WAITLIST
YOU MAY CALL TO COMPLETE A PRE-SCREENING TO BE PLACED ON A SEPARATE LIST OF INTERESTED APPLICANTS.  WHEN WE BEGIN ACCEPTING APPLICATIONS AGAIN, WE WILL SEND APPLICATIONS OUT IN THE ORDER PRE-SCREENINGS WERE RECEIVED

Currently, Greene County has funding for 3 seperate housing rehabiliation programs:

1. HOME- The Home Investment Partnership (HOME)  is the largest Federal block grant to State and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable, safe housing for low to moderate-income households. At this time,only Existing Owner-Occupied homes located in Greene County are eligible for this program. We cannot repair mobile homes on rented lots/land through this program, and we cannot repair homes being purchased through a rent to own/land contract agreement through HOME funds, although these types of properties may be eligible under the REPAIR program. This funding source required that all code deficiencies in the home are corrected, meaning that this program is primarily for homes requiring more extensive repairs. The program will be available on a first come first serve basis until funds are depleted. Please be advised that as of 2023, we have paused applications as the waitlist is projected to be 2+ years long. 

2. REPAIR- The REPAIR(Rehabilitating Existing Properties and Accessibility Improvements for Residents)intends to use PHARE funds to make necessary repairs to low to moderate income households located in Greene County. In certain cases, applicants from the HOME  Program that may not fit eligibility requirements, have exceeded the income limit, or are in need of expedited repairs will be provided with funding assistance through PHARE. There is currently a waitlist, and documented situations warranting expedited  repairs may be considered on a case by case basis as funding permits. PLEASE NOTE: this program cannot fund emergency repairs(i.e. no heat in winter, busted pipes, etc.).  This program requires inspections, cost estimates, and (in most cases)bidding out the rehabilitation work to follow County procurement Code(s), so even expedited repairs can take a month or more to start. 

3. Greene County Whole Home Repair- The Greene County Whole Home Repair program provides moderate rehabilitation assistance to owner occupied homes located in Greene County. This program provides moderate assistance(up to $50,000.00)for repairs.  This program prioritzes applicants/homes needing ADA accessibilty modifications and/or applicants with veteran status, but applicants who do not meet these requirements will not be rejected. This program does not require that all code deficiencies be corrected at the property. Funding for this program is very limited.  s. Any eligible applicants will be added to the general waitlist to receive assistance through other programs as funding becomes available.  Please call 724-852-5300 to complete a pre-screening, or click here to complete the pre-screening online. 

The intent of these programs is to improve the housing stock and provide safe housing for the County's low-moderate income residents by providing no interest, forgivable loans to assist with rehabilitating homes with code and/or safety issues.  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 or business).  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.

NOTE: Greene County Home Rehabilitation Programs reserve the right to serve applicants out of chronological sequence to maintain efficiency in application processing and project completion. Such gains in efficiency benefit all applicants, as the nature of homeowner need is extremely time sensitive.





 

Contact Information

Greene County Office Building
93 E. High Street Second Floor
Suite 217
Waynesburg, PA 15370
Get Directions
Hours of Operation: M-F, 8:30AM to 4:30 PM

Department Contacts:

Nikki Mickens
Redevelopment Authority Director
Natasha Balazick
Program Manager

HOME & REPAIR Programs

The HOME  & REPAIR programs utilize funding created primarily to support the development of affordable housing. HOME & REPAIR programs provide 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 & REPAIR funded housing rehabilitation will be targeted to low-to-moderate income households. 

Please note: this is NOT a program that deals with emergency repairs.  Projects are pulled from the waitlist as funding becomes avaialble, and each project requires a comprehensive environmental review, housing inspection, and lead/radon/asbestos testing. At times, funding is available that may be able to assist with urgent needs.  If funding is available, the program staff will assess each situation on a case-by-case basis to determine eligibility. 

Greene County is also seeking qualified contractors to work on these projects.  Contractors must be registered with the State of Pennsylvania (have a valid HIC number) and be insured in accordance with County limits(please contact for details).  Please visit the "Contractor" section of this page for details.  

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 determined at initial application. An updated income verification will be collected immediately prior to the execution of the construction contract to determine continuing eligibility. Please click the following link to access more detailed information regarding income determination:Income Inclusions

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

# in Household       HUD Annual Income Limit FFY 2022
 
            1                $44,000
            2                $50,250
            3                $56,550
            4                $62,800
            5                $67,850
            6                $72,850
            7                $77,900
            8                $82,900

Assets are also required to be disclosed, and depending on the value/amount of the assett, the assett may be calculated into income to determine eligibility. 

At times, these programs utilize grant funding that allows higher income limits.  No funding may be used to benifits households over 200% of the median area income for Greene County, which is $158,000 as of February 2023.

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. The homeowner must be current in all payment of County, local and school taxes.
5. The applicant must provide proof of homeowner's insurance. Insurance will be required to be in place prior to signing a construction contract, however, you do not need to have homeowner's insurance to be placed on the waitlist. 
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 a no-interest loan, which will be forgiven if the property is not sold or transferred for five years after the rehabilitation is complete.  There are no credit requirements.  All applicants must meet income eligibility, 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. 

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 Programs 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.  If the township or borough in which the property is located has adopted a building code other than the IPMC, the local municipal code shall also be adhered to. 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.  Approved applicants will be placed on the waitlist to recieve a home inspection.  The home inspector will then develop a scope of work and a cost estimate, that will need to be approved by the County.  The federal program guidelines require that all code definicies must be corrected before the project is complete. Other program funding does not require that all code deficiencies are corrected, and in those cases, we may be able to make repairs that would not be feasible under the programs utilizing federal funds. 

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,it is the County’s policy not to improve that specific housing structure unless there are funds available from another source that allow it. 

NOTE: The HOME Program cannot approve projects that only need ADA modifications. The rehabilitation must be less than 50%  ADA Modifications. 

Mobile Home Eligibility

Under the County’s Owner-Occupied Housing Rehabilitation Program, mobile homes may 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. You must have a full title and own the mobile home.  Additionally, the mobile homeowner must own the land on which the mobile home is located.  

At times, there are other funding sources that may allow repairs to mobile homes that are owned but on rented/leased land.  These programs vary, please contact our office for eligibility. 
 

 

Homeowner Application and Instructions

AS OF DECEMBER 20, 2022, THE HOME & REPAIR PROGRAMS HAVE PAUSED APPLICATION ACCEPTANCE TO ALLOW US TO WORK THROUGH THE LARGE WAITLIST.  YOU MAY STILL CALL TO BE PRE-SCREENED
 
Interested applicants are encouraged to complete a prescreening online via the website Greene County Housing Program's Pre-Screen Application or call 724-852-5260 to complete a prescreening.  If the applicant meets the pre-screening criteria, your name and contact information will be placed on our "Pre-Screened Waitlist" list, and you will be sent an application when we start processing new applications again in the order in which the inquiry was received.

Please be advised that the following information will be required at the time of application:

DOCUMENTS REQUIRED TO BE SUBMITTED WITH YOUR APPLICATION:

1. Proof of ownership
  • Deed. 
  • If you own a mobile home, we require a copy of the title.
2. Proof of Income
    i . W-2 employees
  • Past 60 days of paystubs
  •  Most recent W-2 OR certified copy of most recent tax return if applicable
  ii. Self Employed
  • Schedule "C" from most recent Federal tax return
  • All pages of 3 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
  • All pages of 3 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
  • All pages of 3 most recent bank statements (showing deposit source and amounts, all other information regarding purchases may be redacted)
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-If you don't have homeowners insurance currently, please let us know 




       

Contractors

Interested in becoming a contractor with the Greene County HOME Program?  Please review the information below.  

Contractors are required to be licensced through the State of Pennsylvania (Home Improvement Contractor License) & carry insurance.
*** If a program is utilizing federal funds, the contractor must  be willing to register with the federal System for Award Management (SAM) if awarded. 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. 

***If a home is found to contain lead or asbestos, proper certification would be required.  If the home has no lead or asbestos present, lead/asbestos certification is not required.

If you have questions or would like to obtain an application to be placed on our Contractor List, please call 724-852-5260 or email CDBGHome@co.greene.pa.us.

OPEN BIDS:

Ongoing- Seeking General contractors.  Must have PA HIC License, Insurance(please contact the County for required coverages), and references. Please email CDBGHOME@co.greene.pa.us or call 724-852-5260