“We know Daytonians, like so many Americans, face housing challenges, and this program in conjunction with others of the Dayton Recovery Plan are a step forward in addressing that need,” said Tony Kroeger, Dayton’s planning manager.
The new program will be open to homeowners who live in qualified Census tracks and it will prioritize neighborhoods like Wolf Creek, Carillon, Edgemont, Miami Chapel, Five Oaks and Old North Dayton.
Qualified Census tracts must have 50% of households with incomes below 60% of the area median gross income, according to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).
Dayton has issued a notice of funding opportunities seeking a company to be in charge of the repair and renovation program.
The notice says the selected contractor will bring properties into a safe, secure and habitable state through new construction and other improvements.
These activities may include exterior work, painting, structural work, sidewalk replacement, tree removal, new landscaping and the installation of new roofing, windows, gutters and more.
City documents say the improvements to each property cannot exceed $85,000 without explicit written approval by the city.
The average cost of repairs per property is expected to be lower than that.
But the average cost will be determined by a number of factors, most notably by the approach the company the city hires to oversee the program, Kroeger said.
The city wants there to be public engagement about the program and it also should have a fair application process for homeowners, Kroeger said.
Work would begin shortly after an agreement with a company is approved by city leaders, which could happen in the next few months, he said.
The city expects that to qualify participating homeowners must be up to date on their taxes or be in an active payment plan.
The city also does not want homeowners to be eligible if they have a history of “negligence” when it comes to complying with zoning and building laws.
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