Rutherford seeks housing repair assistance requests Urgent Repair Program

Rutherford County has received a grant of $100,000 from the N.C. Housing Finance Agency (NCHFA) through its Urgent Repair Program '18 (URP18). The grant will provide urgently needed repairs for low-income homeowners with special needs in Rutherford County. The grant will be administered by Rutherford Housing Partnership (RHP), a local nonprofit that provides urgently needed repairs for qualified low-income homeowners.

To receive a preliminary application, call RHP at 828-248-3431 and leave your name and address. To pick up an application, go by the RHP office at 718 W. Main Street, Forest City; or next door at the Habitat ReStore, 686 W. Main Street, Forest City. Applications are also available at Isothermal Planning & Development Commission, 111 W. Court Street, Rutherfordton.

All applications currently on the RHP waiting list will automatically be ranked and considered for assistance after August 15.

Other Housing Issues: The Rutherford Housing Initiative Alliance, an informal discussion group of parties interested in housing issues, has been working with various partners in the Rutherford County area to explore other opportunities to improve the housing access and housing conditions in our County. Members of this group include the IPDC Section 8 Housing Division, Pisgah Legal, and Habitat for Humanity, the Towns of Rutherfordton, Spindale and Forest City, as well as the Rutherford Housing partnership to find opportunities to make these improvements.

As such, the county, working with this group, intends to apply for a Community Development Block Grant through the NC Department of Commerce's Neighborhood Revitalization Program (CDBG-NR) which also will provide housing repair assistance for low-income homeowners. To qualify for this grant, household income must be below 80% of the county's median income.

Properties considered for both of these programs, are being solicited at this time. For Properties to be considered for CDBG-NR grant funding must be selected and included with the grant application. Therefore, applicants interested in being considered for housing rehabilitation assistance through either grant must submit an application to RHP by 5pm August 15.