City of Statesboro is accepting applications for Housing Rehabilitation Program

STATESBORO, Ga. (WSAV) – The City of Statesboro will once again be accepting applications to its Housing Rehabilitation Program.

Starting Monday homeowners with lower incomes who occupy substandard housing within the city limits are encouraged to apply for the 2024 Housing Rehabilitation Program to receive assistance with home repairs and renovations. Applications for assistance must be submitted by August 6 to be considered for rehabilitation assistance.

The city first started accepting applications for the housing rehab program in 2022. Since that time, the city has been able to rehabilitate or fully replace nine homes.

“This program has been a success and helped to uplift often overlooked areas of our community,” says Justin Williams, City of Statesboro Planning & Housing Administrator. “By reopening the application, we hope to help those who missed the opportunity to apply in 2022. This was never going to be a quick and easy process, and we realize that the work is far from done.”

In 2021, after receiving $12,306,220.00 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds from the U.S. Department of the Treasury, the Statesboro City Council approved the allocation of $5,000,000.00 of the funds to be used to provide rehabilitation or replacement housing assistance to lower-income homeowner households in the City of Statesboro.

“The City’s leadership recognized that there are areas in Statesboro that have been left behind economically and structurally over the past few decades,” said Williams. “This program provides an opportunity to improve the quality of life for the most vulnerable populations in our community. We are excited to reopen the program and witness not only the aesthetic improvements in the community but also the positive and meaningful impact it will have on the lives of the residents.”

In order to be considered for assistance, applicants must meet the criteria outlined below:

1. Occupant household income must be at or below

2. Eligible properties must be owner-occupied, not investor-owned.

3. All households served must occupy a unit with structural deficiencies. This program is designed to address housing needs, not minor structural cosmetic improvements. The maximum limit for rehabilitation costs is $50,000.

4. All units must be located within the limits of the City of Statesboro.

5. Manufactured housing must have been converted into real property if owned and

occupied by the homeowner prior to selection.

6. Applicants selected for the program will need to execute a promissory note to obtain loan assistance, which will be secured with a deed of trust on the property for the duration of the note.

The online application will be available at this link. The deadline to apply to the program is Tuesday, August 6, 2024. Questions regarding the program should be directed to the city’s Planning & Development Department at (912)-764-0630 or through email at planning.development@statesboroga.gov.