Critical home repair on the horizon for Flint residents as City moves to allocate $5 million in ARPA funds

The City of Flint administration will present a resolution to the Flint City Council tonight to allocate $5 million in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds for home repair programs for Flint residents. These allocations include $1.5 million to Metro Community Development, $1.5 million to Habitat for Humanity, and $800,000 to GCCARD to provide home repair services directly to Flint residents citywide.

Additional allocations to Court Street Village include $175,000 for house painting and $150,000 for roof repairs in the Central Park and Fairfield Village neighborhoods. An allocation to Habitat for Humanity of $875,000 would provide property tax, water bill, and homeowners insurance assistance.

“Flint families have been asking for help with critical home repairs, and today we have a message of hope that help is on the way,” Flint Mayor Sheldon Neeley said. “If the Flint City Council approves these allocations, the administration is prepared to move swiftly to implement contracts with service providers and make these critical resources available for Flint residents. These home repair programs will improve quality of life for the most vulnerable members of our community by making Flint homes safe places where families can thrive.”

ARPA-funded home repair programs are designed to assist residents in the restoration and rehabilitation of their homes, as well as assist residents in avoiding foreclosure. As a result, the City of Flint hopes to improve housing conditions, health outcomes, and mental health while decreasing the migration of people out of Flint.

Residents receiving support through these programs must meet eligibility criteria, and the priority for support will be based on the lowest income and/or greatest need. Residents must provide evidence of residence at the property for at least one year with a copy of their deed or a utility bill. Residents must also provide documentation of income at or below 300% of the federal poverty level, which is the federally mandated ARPA household income limit. Finally, residents must be current on all City of Flint property taxes and water bills, or have completed an application for the Michigan Homeowner Assistance Fund (MIHAF).

Alongside the home repair resolutions, the City of Flint administration is including grant application information, information about the ARPA Community Advisory Committee’s review process, and the Project Evaluation Rubric. This will be available to the public on the Flint City Council webpage: https://www.cityofflint.com/city-council/

If the city council approves the resolutions, the administration’s next step is to sign contracts with the four community organizations. The City will work with each organization to communicate home repair application information directly to Flint residents.

This is the first in a series of resolutions that the administration is developing to allocate ARPA Community Grant Program funds. The ARPA Community Advisory Committee has completed its work and has submitted all funding recommendations to the City of Flint administration. These are recommendations only; the committee itself has no decision-making authority. The administrative team is reviewing and developing resolutions to send before the Flint City Council based on the committee’s recommendations, with some modifications. The Flint City Council ARPA ad-hoc committee is also engaged in this process.