Skip to main content

Department of Development awards $7.3M in grants for emergency home repairs, down payment assistance

By
Ohio Department of Development, Press Release

The Ohio Department of Development recently announced $7.3 million in grant awards to help improve housing and provide down payment assistance for more than 1,600 low- and moderate-income Ohioans. 

The funding comes from the Housing Assistance Grant Program, which utilizes Ohio Housing Trust Fund dollars to help non-profit organizations across the state promote more affordable housing opportunities and improve housing conditions through emergency home repair, renovations for handicap accessibility, limited down payment assistance and homebuyer education. 

“This funding is critical to addressing the issue of housing in Ohio,” said Lydia Mihalik, director of the Department of Development. “By supporting our local partners in their efforts to provide emergency home repairs, accessibility modifications and down payment assistance, we're working together to ensure more Ohioans have a safe and stable place to call home.” 

With these grants, nonprofits can contract with local qualified construction companies to complete essential home repairs such as heating systems, water heaters, plumbing systems, severely deteriorated roofs, walls, windows, doors, hazardous electrical systems and more.  

The grants also allow investments of up to $5,000 per home toward down payment assistance and associated out-of-pocket expenses, as well as up to $500 per household for homebuyer education. 

In total, 23 nonprofits will receive grants through this program, benefiting residents in each of Ohio’s 88 counties. 

The following agencies will receive grant funds: 

Area Agency on Aging – 9 (Belmont, Carroll, Coshocton, Guernsey, Harrison, Holmes, Jefferson, Muskingum and Tuscarawas counties) will receive a $500,000 grant to provide 45 home repairs for Ohioans aged 60 and older, as well as residents with disabilities. 

Area Agency on Aging – Direction Home (Portage, Stark, Summit and Wayne counties) will receive a $300,000 grant to provide 66 home repairs and modifications for homeowners aged 60 and older, as well as those 18 and older with disabilities.  

Ashtabula County Community Housing Development Organization (Ashtabula and Geauga counties) will receive a $225,000 grant to provide 80 home repairs for income-eligible Ohioans. 

The Buckeye Regional Council (Athens, Hocking, Meigs, Monroe, Morgan, Noble, Perry and Washington counties) will receive a $250,000 grant to provide 20 home repairs for homeowners aged 60 and older, as well as Ohioans with disabilities. 

Burten, Bell, Car Development (Cuyahoga County) will receive a $100,000 grant to provide seven home repairs and provide down payment assistance for five homeowners in the Central, Kinsman, and Buckeye neighborhoods of Cleveland. 

The Corporation for Ohio Appalachian Development (Adams, Belmont, Brown, Carroll, Guernsey, Harrison, Jefferson, Monroe, Muskingum, Noble, Pike, Ross, Scioto and Tuscarawas counties) will receive a $500,000 grant to provide 33 home repairs for income-eligible homeowners. 

Columbiana County Community Action Agency (Columbiana County) will receive a $200,000 grant to provide 40 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

Community Housing Solutions (Cuyahoga and Geauga counties) will receive a $742,000 grant to provide 93 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners.  

County Corp (Montgomery County) will receive a $300,000 grant to provide 45 home repairs and handicapped accessibility modifications to income-eligible homeowners. There will be no age restrictions, and qualifying repairs will be emergency in nature that address the health and safety of the household. 

The Cuyahoga Land Bank (Cuyahoga County) will receive a $90,000 grant to provide eight home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

Gallia-Meigs Community Action Agency (Gallia and Meigs counties) will receive a $120,000 grant to provide 24 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

The Great Lakes Community Action Partnership (Erie, Huron, Lorain, Ottawa, Sandusky, Seneca and Wood counties) will receive a $553,462 grant to provide 95 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

Habitat for Humanity, and 42 affiliate agencies, will receive a $400,000 grant to provide home repairs to income-eligible homeowners in all 88 Ohio counties. 

The Ironton-Lawrence County Community Action Organization (Lawrence County) will receive a $100,000 grant to provide six home repairs for income-eligible homeowners aged 60 and older. 

Leads Community Action Agency (Licking County) will receive a $250,000 grant to provide 64 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

The Northwestern Ohio Community Action Commission, Inc. (Defiance, Fulton, Henry, Paulding, Van Wert and Williams counties) will receive a $200,000 grant to provide 38 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

People Working Cooperatively (Butler, Clermont, Greene, Hamilton, Montgomery, Preble and Warren counties) will receive a $900,000 grant to 488 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

The Pickaway County Community Action Organization (Pickaway County) will receive a $65,000 grant to provide 23 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

Rebuilding Together Central Ohio (Franklin County) will receive a $1 million grant to provide 267 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

Rebuilding Together Northeast Ohio (Portage, Stark and Summit counties) will receive a $90,000 grant to provide 43 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners aged 60 and older.  

Washington-Morgan Community Action (Morgan and Washington counties) will receive an $80,000 grant to provide nine home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

Wayne-Medina Community Action Agency (Medina and Wayne counties) will receive a $251,000 grant to provide 45 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners. 

Western Reserve Area Agency on Aging (Cuyahoga, Geauga, Lake, Lorain and Medina counties) will receive a $100,000 grant to provide 10 home repairs to income-eligible homeowners aged 60 and older. 

For more information, visit the program webpage at https://development.ohio.gov/community/housing-and-homelessness/housing…;

The Ohio Department of Development empowers communities to succeed by investing in Ohio’s people, places and businesses. Learn more at development.ohio.gov. 

Publisher's note: A free press is critical to having well-informed voters and citizens. While some news organizations opt for paid websites or costly paywalls, The Highland County Press has maintained a free newspaper and website for the last 25 years for our community. If you would like to contribute to this service, it would be greatly appreciated. Donations may be made to: The Highland County Press, P.O. Box 849, Hillsboro, Ohio 45133. Please include "for website" on the memo line.