Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri will use a $58,825 grant to repair five owner-occupied homes in Butler, Dunklin, Mississippi, New Madrid, Pemiscot or Stoddard Counties.
Catholic Charities Senior Vice President for Operations John Lunardini said, “We are excited about this because we can improve more homes.”
Lunardini said the agency does repairs on about 20-25 homes in its service area across southern Missouri each year and this USDA grant will increase that number.
The Catholic Charities grant application was designed to address repairs for five to eight homes in the six Southeast Missouri counties. Homes that are selected are eligible for up to $10,000 in repairs.
“People call our agency for a host of low-income home repair grants,” Lunardini said. “We wanted to use this latest grant to impact more homeowners.”
D. Clark Thomas, acting state director for USDA Rural Development Missouri, announced in November that the agency was investing $358,270 to improve equitable access to safe housing for rural Missouri homeowners.
USDA is making the awards under the Housing Preservation Grant Program. These grants are made to sponsoring organizations, which includes Catholic Charities, to help low-income homeowners make health and safety repairs to their homes.
“USDA Rural Development has long partnered with various organizations, together making a larger impact in rural Missouri,” Thomas said. “The Housing Preservation Grant Program is an excellent example of how these partnerships positively benefit rural Missourians by funding needed health and safety home improvements for homeowners.”
Lunardini said the qualifications to apply for a home repair grant are that the applicant must be a homeowner, must reside in the county of application, and must earn 80% or less than average median income in county of residence, which varies throughout the state.
In addition, those who own trailers can be eligible if they also own the land the trailer is located upon.
Catholic Charities Social Enterprise Program includes Purpose Home Repair. Located in Joplin, this service has the ability to do much of the home repairs that are needed. The agency also uses local subcontractors when needed.
The agency does all forms of necessary home repairs, including HVAC, electrical, plumbing, walls, roofs and any other needed improvements.
“Our goal is to make it so people can remain in their homes, bring them up to code, and make it safer and healthier for them to live in,” Lunardini said.
Anyone who meets the qualifications and wants to apply for a home repair grant can go to the Catholic Charities of Southern Missouri website at ccsomo.org, or they can call the agency’s main office in Springfield at 417-720-4213.