NEPA gets $8 million for home repairs

Jim Lockwood, The Times-Tribune, Scranton, Pa.
·2 min read

Mar. 14—The nonprofit NeighborWorks Northeastern Pennsylvania does small repair projects that make homes more accessible and bathrooms safer for elderly residents.

A new "Whole-Home Repairs Program" by the state will allow the agency to take on bigger projects, such as fixing roofs and replacing windows and siding.

Lackawanna County got $2.1 million from the state under the new program and will partner with NeighborWorks and another nonprofit organization, the Agency for Community EmPOWERment of NEPA, for home repairs of low-income residents.

"We can layer this on top of accessibility improvements — ramps, grab bars, bathroom modifications — to holistically address the whole home that they're in," said NeighborWorks President and CEO Jesse Ergott.

Meanwhile, ACE does home weatherization upgrades and workforce initiatives. The Whole-Home Repairs Program will be distinct but will amplify existing, successful functions of the two nonprofits, said Brenda Sacco, Lackawanna County's director of economic development.

"We're not recreating the wheel" in implementing the Whole-Home Repairs Program Sacco said.

Funded under the federal American Rescue Plan Act, the program will provide $120 million statewide to address critical home repair needs and improve Pennsylvania's housing stock, Gov. Josh Shapiro recently announced.

"So many Pennsylvanians are struggling to keep up with rising prices — we need to make sure people living paycheck to paycheck can afford to maintain their homes so that they're safe and healthy for themselves and their families," Shapiro said.

Administered by the state Department of Community and Economic Development, the home-repair program funds improvements in habitability, safety, energy or water efficiency, disabled-accessibility and construction-related workforce development.

The program recently made its first allocations: $2.1 million to Lackawanna County and nearly $331,000 to Wayne County. The state plans to expedite funding to other counties.

"It's now up to the counties to get this money into the hands of those who need it as quickly as possible," Shapiro said.

Funds can go toward grants of up to $50,000 for low-income-eligible homeowners, forgivable loans for qualified landlords and trainee jobs related to improving home habitability.

Lackawanna County still has to formalize agreements with NeighborWorks and ACE and guidelines for the public to apply for funds, so it could take a few months for any repairs to start, Sacco said.

Under the program, Northeast Pennsylvania counties will get more than $8 million in federal funds funneled through the state.

Contact the writer:

jlockwood@timesshamrock.com; 570-348-9100 x5185;

@jlockwoodTT on Twitter.