Grant to boost low-income housing

January 18, 2012

Catawba County commissioners agreed to a grant this week that will help pay for repairs to multiple low-income households.

The Catawba County Board of Commissioners agreed to the N.C. Housing Finance Agency Urgent Repair Program Grant in the amount of $37,500.

The grant will be used to provide energy-efficiency improvements and minor structural repairs to seven low-income households in the area, according to information from the county.

Each home will receive a maximum of $5,000 in repairs.

According to county officials, the Western Piedmont Council of Governments will provide day-to-day management of the repair program.

In other news, commissioners:

• agreed to a $5,000 federal grant for Catawba County Emergency Services on Tuesday to be used for medications and respirator filter cartridges.

• closed out a $96,956.97 block grant for emergency housing repair. The grant was used to provide emergency repairs to 23 homes owned and occupied by very low and low-income families in Catawba County.

-declared a 2002 John Deere 624H wheel loader as surplus and approved it to be sold by electronic public auction. County officials say the wheel loader is worth $30,000-$45,000, and those funds will return to the county’s Solid Waste Enterprise Fund.

-rescheduled its next meeting from Feb. 6 to Jan. 27 at 9:30 a.m.