County applying for homeowner grants

Published 10:15 am Wednesday, July 6, 2016

Lincoln County could be receiving a grant to help fund the rehabilitation or reconstruction of homes for low-income families, according to grant writer Lynette Smith, who spoke at Tuesday’s Board of Supervisors meeting.

“The county fired for a minimum of two homes to eight,” she said.

There is a total of $3,427,477 available to cities and counties for grants from the Home Investment Partnership Program. The grants are available for low income families who own the home and live in it as their principal residence, according to Smith.

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The maximum available is $500,000 for reconstruction grants and $35,000 for rehabilitation grants.

District 1 Supervisor Jerry Wilson said in the meeting the grants are ideal for older people on a fixed income.

“This is somebody in everybody’s district,” he said. “They’re the ones that really need it.”

Cities and counties must apply for the grants on a competitive basis, and the deadline for the application is Aug. 19, Smith said. A public hearing will be held July 21 in the Board of Supervisors meeting room at 1 p.m.

Deadline Extended

Tax collector Blake Pickering asked the Board of Supervisors Tuesday to extend the deadline for turning in the land roll to the first Monday of August.

“The only effect it will have on y’all is it will push the review process back to the first Monday in September,” Pickering said to the board.

The roll will now be presented to the public on Aug. 26, 10 days prior to the first Monday in September.

The Board of Supervisors docket meeting will take place at 9 a.m. on July 7.