More Muskegon Residents to Qualify for Weatherization and Emergency Repair Funds

Andrew Trzaska | October 25, 2011

More Muskegon city residents may be able to use some government weatherization and emergency repair funds after the city commissions put new guidelines into play on Tuesday.

Specific HOME weatherization and Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds secured from the Department of House and Urban Development are set aside for three areas of use: Vinyl siding application, emergency repairs and other weatherization.

To previously qualify for use of these funds, a household’s income had to equal 50% or less of the city’s annual median income (AMI).  With Tuesday’s resolution, households with incomes 50 to 60% of AMI can now qualify.

This new portion of households (from 50-60% AMI) will be required to pay in a $250 up-front fee for emergency repairs.  These funds would be reapplied to the programs for other repairs.

This decision was previously approved at Muskegon’s Citizen’s District Council at their October 4 meeting.  There will be no financial impact for the City of Muskegon for this opening of services because the funds are federal and are earmarked for this purpose.

Documents obtained from the City of Muskegon indicated this would expand the scope of the program:

“We can assist our underserved families in need of assistance if we increase the income requirement to 60% AMI.”

Citizens should contact the City of Muskegon’s Community and Neighborhood Services Department to see if they qualify.