The Greensboro Housing and Neighborhood Development Department is planning on changing the current home repair loan program to a home repair grant program.
The presentation on this new program was made at the Greensboro City Council work session on Thursday, Oct. 27.
Not a single member of the City Council asked about the financial aspects of turning a loan program into a grant program. With a loan program, one assumes that at least some of the loans are repaid. A grant program is simply a give-away – no money ever comes back to the program or the city.
The benefits of going from a loan program to a grant program are fairly obvious. The top reason according to the Housing and Neighborhood Development Department is, “Does not impact a homeowner’s equity.”
The other benefits of giving money away instead of loaning money for home repairs are:
- Heir property, title issues, marital status, insurance and credit qualification are not barriers.
- Less likely to trigger expensive federal rules – lead paint, historic windows/doors, relocation.
- Can significantly increase number of units completed without increasing staff capacity
- Lower costs per unit spreads the limited assistance to more eligible applicants.
- Allows for more geographic targeting, leveraging the impact of more improved units in a concentrated area.
- Grant terms match better with other available program resources.
So, there is less paperwork and less hassle for both the Housing and Neighborhood Development Department and the applicant, but there is nothing in the presentation about how giving away money instead of loaning money benefits the city.
To qualify for the program the household income has to be under 60 percent of the area median income, the homeowner must have a clear title and have lived in the home as their primary residence for at least five years. The homeowner may not own additional real estate, must not owe the City of Greensboro or Guilford County any money and the home has to be in the city limits of Greensboro.
The City Council, without receiving information about the financial implications of the program, expressed full support of going from a home repair loan program to a home repair giveaway program.
Maybe I shouldn’t care but as a taxpayer in this City, I find it alarming how much money this City Council wants to throw down the toilet after slapping the citizens with the highest tax increase in history! Perhaps if they hadn’t trapped the citizens paying the taxes with this huge increase they would think twice about throwing money around like this. I’m disgusted!
Another liberal Democrat program spending your money…can’t wait to see the waste of this boondoggle too.
The hassle was included with my property tax bill.
John, What is 60 % of the median income in GSO, Will the 15000.00 give away to city employees impact the median income for those folks or will they double dip. What a socialist state we now live in, it just a shame the voters put these idiots in office for another 3+ years.
And once again I am so glad I moved out of GSO. Enjoy the giving away of your (outrageous) tax dollars folks
Randolph County?
Sadly, he lives in Guilford County and is one of Pleasant Garden’s commish types. (They basically argue about the date for the Christmas parade each year kinda of role.)
You can see he has no care for people who struggle financially. This includes the elderly who are more frequently in need of home repairs as fixed incomes have not kept up with inflation (even before inflation spiked). He will do or say anything (lie or drama queen) to make dems look evil. That is apparently all he cares about.
” (They basically argue about the date for the Christmas parade each year kinda of role.)”
Really? When was the last time that happen Chris? Oh, I forgot, you have to make stuff to justify yourself.
“You can see he has no care for people who struggle financially. This includes the elderly who are more frequently in need of home repairs as fixed incomes have not kept up with inflation (even before inflation spiked). He will do or say anything (lie or drama queen) to make dems look evil. That is apparently all he cares about.”
Now you have once again crossed a line by spouting unfounded lies. How dare you hide your identity and spout such unfounded, made up, obvious lies about me. Guess what piece of crap, I’m elderly and on a fixed income myself, and yet I do what I need to do to see that my father has what he needs even at the cost of myself and my wife.
Your comments crossed a line that I thought even the likes of you wouldn’t cross. A real man/woman would make their identity known.
And so you say I only care about me. Then why have I, and the other Council members, served the community in a position that does not pay. As for making Dems look evil, they do a good enough job of that themselves.
When are you going to be a REAL man/woman and publish under your real, full name, or are you too much of a coward to do so? Just asking.
PG
What oversight is there that the grant money would be spent on home improvements? If a loan is abused, at least it gets repaid…in theory.
I had hoped that when Michelle Kennedy resigned from the City Council there would be relief from her manipulative control of the Council. It now appears that the control and manipulation is even more apparent and destructive for taxpayers in Greensboro. Because the Greensboro Housing and Neighborhood Development Department that she heads is from where these giveaway housing programs are emanating.