Grant Funds Available for Home Rehab and Reconstruction

If your home has structural deficiencies or needs modifications to improve health and safety, the City of Dallas has a program for that. 

About $3 million is available in Community Development Block Grant and U.S. Housing and Urban Development funds for home rehabilitation and reconstruction. 

The city is seeking contractors or “subrecipients” to administer the funds, said Thor Erickson, area redevelopment manager. 

The Home Improvement and Preservation Program (HIPP) Major Home Rehabilitation Program and Home Reconstruction Program will be used to rehabilitate at least 50 owner-occupied homes. The funds are allocated to households at or below 80 percent of Area Median Income. 

Submit a Project

A pre-submission meeting through Webex is set for 1 p.m. Sept. 22. Users can log in with meeting No. 2499 475 4590 and password NOFA. Contractors are asked to submit a detailed budget on costs needed to deliver rehabilitation services. 

The HIPP programs are designed to ensure the longevity of a home and address “health, safety, accessibility modification, reconstruction, and structural/deferred maintenance deficiencies,” according to the Notice of Funding Availability. 

“Participating residents will benefit from improved living conditions, healthier homes, and expanded economic value that revitalize neighborhoods,” according to a press release issued by the City of Dallas. 

Forgivable loans are provided to income-eligible homeowners for making repairs to preserve affordable housing. 

Leveraging Private Sector Expertise 

Dallas’s grant-funded housing programs enable the city to leverage private-sector expertise and service-delivery efficiencies, Erickson.

Such partnerships are crucial to creating and maintaining affordable and mixed-income housing, city officials have said. 

District 1 Councilman Chad West pointed out recently that Dallas has faced challenges in identifying public revenue sources and leveraging private partnerships. 

“The private sector in Dallas has not been engaged in scaling up and leveraging the impact of [Comprehensive Housing Policy] programs,” West said. “The only way to reverse course is to engage with private sector leaders as true partners.” 

Contractors and subrecipients proposing projects for the HIPP programs will be evaluated on a scale for federal grant allocations. Proposals are due via email by Oct. 5.