The city of Pontiac is deploying part of its federal funding windfall on a significant home repair initiative, offering up to $25,000 to qualified residents for crucial home improvements. This injection of aid comes from the $37 million allocated to the city from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), with $3 million earmarked for the Pontiac Home Repair Program, as reported by CBS News Detroit. The program, which was launched last spring, aims not only to assist individual homeowners in urgent need of repairs, such as roof and gutter replacements, but also to support the broader community by enhancing the general condition of housing, addressing blight, and thus, elevating property values citywide, Pontiac Mayor Tim Greimel remarked.
Eligibility for the program hinges on homeowners earning less than 80% of the median income adjusted for family size, with the promise of assistance reaching several in dire need. Delores Stephens, a Pontiac resident for nearly 50 years battling a persistently leaking roof, exclaimed she just can't get over that it's happened, sharing her relief with CBS News Detroit. Already, the program has completed renovations on eight homes, with 57 currently undergoing improvement and 31 more greenlit for upcoming refurbishments, the mayor told CBS.
La'Shaundra Benion, a resident and beneficiary whose house was in need of a roof replacement and windows, among other repairs, received the maximum grant amount enabling complete renovations. "They did all of the windows in my house, the roof and some minor electrical work," Benion told The Detroit News. She expressed profound gratitude, particularly as prior estimates for her roof alone greatly exceeded her financial capabilities.
With the city's intent to fund approximately 132 projects by the end of 2026, one homeowner, Jane Morris, was scouting the program for seniors before she discovered she qualified herself. "I love it. You know, it’s not leaking anymore," Morris expressed her satisfaction with the improvements to her home, as she no longer faces the prospect of using equity she hasn't yet built to finance the necessary repairs, she relayed to WXYZ. Mayor Greimel echoed this sentiment, confirming that the program's reach extends beyond the individual homeowner to benefit entire communities, during an interview with WXYZ.
For now, with hundreds on the waiting list, the city is not accepting new applicants, but they have plans to secure additional funding. Mayor Greimel assured prospective participants that once more funds become available, more residents will be encouraged to apply, as per information obtained by CBS News Detroit.
