CANTON – The village begins the process of allotting $400,000 in housing rehabilitation grants with a “kick off meeting” 6 p.m. Tuesday, Sept. 21 in the downstairs courtroom of the Municipal Building, 60 Main St.

The housing repair program will help about 13 low- and moderate-income households get a new roof, repair heating or plumbing systems add insulation or make other major repairs.

“We’ve tried for several years to get a Community Development Block Grant award, and we finally did it,” said Deputy Mayor Sylvia Kingston about the recently announced federal funding. “Now we can start to help fix the homes of our neighbors who need it.”

The kick off meeting will include presentations by St. Lawrence County Planning Office staffers who wrote the grant application on behalf of the village, and St. Lawrence County Housing Council representatives, who will administer the grant.

They will provide information about the rehabilitation program, how to apply and answer questions. Both owner-occupied and renter-occupied housing units are eligible.

Kingston also encouraged local contractors to contact the Housing Council to find out how they can participate in the program. “We want to maximize the local impact of this program. If we can use local contractors, that will make the work progress more quickly and circulate the rehab dollars through our local economy.”

Kingston said she believes this will be the first phase of a long-term housing repair program in the village. “We will remain aggressive in seeking grant funds to continue this effort,” she said. “Our intent is to provide an ongoing opportunity for people who cannot otherwise afford to fix their homes.”

Those unable to attend can obtain more information by calling the Housing Council at 386-8576.