Cherry Hill officials are hoping to help low-income families who are in need of home repairs.
The township is making an extra push to make the community aware of its Home Improvement Program. The program, which has been around since the mid-1980s, allows low-income families to receive funds for general home rehabilitation projects.
Director of Community Development Paul Stridick said the township is trying to make the public aware of this program in the winter, a time when residents become aware of issues with their home due to the cold and snowy weather.
“We have these funds that we kind of want to broadcast to the community,” he said.
The Home Improvement Program is done through a shared services agreement with Camden County. The agreement allows Cherry Hill residents who qualify under a certain income level to receive loans for home repairs without interest or immediate repayment.
“We have money that we get through (United States Housing and Urban Development) that is used to fund the program,” township director of communications Bridget Palmer said.
To participate in the program, homeowners must fall under a certain income level depending on how many people live in the home. The maximum income for a one-person household is $44,150, for a two-person household it’s $50,450, for a three-person household it’s $56,750, for a four-person household it’s $63,050 and for a five-person household it’s $68,100.
There’s no pressure to repay the loans since they are deferred. The township secures these deferred loans through a mortgage note.
“These are zero interest loans up to $25,000,” Palmer said. “They’re deferred loans, so there’s no payments due until the house is sold or transferred.”
The program is aimed at routine repairs families cannot afford. The repairs are typically something where a home is not up to code. The repairs can range from plumbing and electrical issues to problems with a roof, windows or siding.
“They are used to take care of code-compliant issues,” Stridick said. “But we also do weatherization issues to make the house more efficient.”
For 2014, Stridick estimates the township has received approximately $325,000 to $350,000 in funds for projects. This equates to about 19 or 20 homes if the homes use the maximum $25,000 loan. The amount of money the township receives each year varies.
“Some years are more lean than others; some years are fatter than others,” Stridick said.
Stridick said the push to increase participation includes advertising and the distribution of flyers and handouts. Even though there are numerous households eligible for this program, Stridick said some don’t take advantage.
“For the most part, it’s just really getting the households that want to do this,” he said. “Sometimes, they may be eligible, but they don’t have any projects to perform.”
In other cases, however, Stridick said residents may be nervous taking out a loan, even though the program’s loans are deferred and don’t accrue interest.
Stridick said residents should try to take advantage, as many of the eligible projects can run into the thousands and be costly to low-income families.
The application process for the project goes through the county. Residents who are interested in participating can contact Camden County at 751–2242 to apply or for more information.
