Wilmington, Delaware, residents who own and occupy homes with issues like leaking roofs, unsafe porches, or faulty electrical systems may receive up to $10,000 from the city for repairs.
Instead of awarding that money through a lottery, the city plans to use a different system.
Here's what to know
According to WHYY News, Wilmington has committed $500,000 to the effort through June. Grants for owner-occupied homes will be awarded on a first-come, first-served basis. The online application opened on Oct. 26.
City officials say the goal is to help people stay safely in their homes when major repair bills become unaffordable. Daniel Walker, deputy chief of staff to Mayor John Carney, told WHYY, "We want to make sure that we keep property owners in their homes longer and we know that the cost of repairs can be high."
To be eligible, a household's income cannot exceed 80% of the Wilmington-area median family income. That sets the limit at $78,550 for a family of two and $98,150 for a family of four.
The program also targets older homeowners. Walker said the effort is especially focused on older residents, adding, "Most of these individuals are seniors, and we believe that people should be able to age in place and costly home repairs should not be a deterrent to that ability."
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More background
The city is replacing the grant lottery established under Carney's predecessor, the late Mike Purzycki. Walker said officials were looking for a more predictable approach for eligible households needing prompt help.
City Councilwoman Christian Willauer, who sponsored the bill behind the revised program, said the new approach better matches how urgent repairs usually arise. "Homeowner repairs are an expense that are sometimes unanticipated and can come in a big chunk," Willauer said, per WHYY. "So when people are facing those kinds of repairs that they can't afford, it's great that the city can provide some kind of support because it helps people stay in their homes."
Willauer said waiting to address damage can make the consequences much worse. "If you have a leaking roof, it can have immediate health effects, it can undermine the viability of the house over the long run, and it needs to be fixed," she added. "But if the barrier is coming up with the chunk of change to make that repair, sometimes those repairs that need to happen get put off."
Wilmington's real estate and housing director, Bob Weir, said neglected upkeep can ripple out into the surrounding community. "We know that deferred maintenance is the shortest path to a vacant home," Weir explained, per WHYY.
What's being done?
The city is administering the program with help from Habitat for Humanity of New Castle County. Officials are telling applicants to closely follow the requirements so reviews aren't delayed by missing materials.
Applicants must first provide documents showing identity and homeownership: a driver's license or state ID for each resident; the most recent property tax bill showing taxes are current or on a payment plan; a current mortgage statement, if applicable; and the homeowner's insurance declaration page.
They must also show they live at the property by submitting their latest electricity, gas, and water bills. In addition, everyone in the household age 18 or older must provide income records, such as recent pay stubs or benefit statements for pensions, retirement accounts, Social Security, survivor payments, workers' comp, alimony, or military compensation.
Habitat for Humanity's role includes screening submissions, confirming whether any of the $500,000 is still available, obtaining bids, selecting a contractor, and coordinating the repair work. Residents who encounter issues during the process are being directed to call Wilmington's 311 help line.
Where can I learn more?
Other cities and counties are wrestling with the same question: how to help homeowners cover urgent repairs when public dollars are limited.
• In Corpus Christi, Texas, homeowners entered a $24,999 repair lottery for roofs and AC fixes.
• Hillsborough County, Florida, is offering repair aid for homeowners facing structural and safety hazards.
• Palm Beach County, Florida, offers $100,000 for repairs, though only 50 homeowners will qualify.
• Baltimore has nearly 6,000 home repair requests as federal aid losses squeeze the budget.
• In Arizona, a $50,000 grant has funded AC repairs for mobile homes amid extreme heat.
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