CANTON -- St. Lawrence County was awarded $850,000 for the second phase of its Countywide Housing Rehabilitation Program (CHRP 2).

This award was made under the NYS Community Development Block Grant program (CDBG).

“The county expects to be able to assist approximately 22 low-income households with these funds,” said County Planning Director Keith Zimmerman. “Assistance will be made available to owner-occupants or to renters. Our rehabilitation goal is to make each housing unit safe, decent, and energy-efficient.”

Zimmerman said that each household receives a deferred loan in order to rehabilitate their home, with no repayment required, except under very limited circumstances.

The county partners with the North Country Housing Council to deliver the program, according to Deputy Planning Director Jason Pfotenhauer.

“The Housing Council handles applicant intake, they verify income, ownership, etc.” Pfotenhauer said “They work with the household to develop detailed scopes of work to be completed, and then help the households to get competitive bids from qualified contractors. During rehab, Housing Council staff periodically inspect the work, and authorize payments to contractors only after the householder approves work completed.”

He noted that interested households should contact the Housing Council for more information at 315-386-8576.

Pfotenhauer recalled that the county has a significant history of receiving and using CDBG funds to assist low-income households with housing issues. “Since 1982, the county has secured 27 grant awards, totaling over $11 million. These funds have helped 580 low-income households to make substantial improvements to their living conditions.”

In addition, he said, “the county has secured 23 grant awards to assist low-income households to purchase their first homes. These Direct Homeownership Assistance Programs have invested over $13.5 million into the housing stock of St. Lawrence County, and enabled over 600 households to buy homes.”

Over the years over $24.5 million in these CDBG funds have been invested into the housing stock in St. Lawrence County, Zimmerman said. The money has paid contractors who have hired employees and paid materials suppliers. These funds have stimulated additional mortgage investment by local banks. The current ratio of CDBG funds to commercial mortgage investment is $1 to $1.72, he said.

“These funds have improved 1,180 homes. Think what the condition of these homes might be in without such investment. And most importantly, with an average household size in the county of 2.53, we have been able to improve the lives of over 2,900 persons. That’s where the real value of the CDBG program becomes apparent,” Zimmerman said.