Cuyahoga County residents have a new option to get money to fix up their homes through the Black and Latinx Community Investment Fund. Eligible homeowners who live in parts of the county hardest hit by racially discriminatory practices after the 2008 foreclosure crisis can apply for up to $10,000.
The Black and Latinx Community Investment Fund is the result of a $53 million legal settlement in 2022 with Fannie Mae, a government-sponsored company that deals with mortgage financing, that homeowners in 39 communities across the country said “treated foreclosed homes in communities of color unfavorably.”
The lawsuit detailed how the lender allowed homes it foreclosed on in mostly Black or Latinx neighborhoods to deteriorate while maintaining and marketing similar homes in mostly white neighborhoods.
“Cleveland was at the epicenter of the foreclosure crisis in the United States,” wrote Carrie Pleasants, executive director for the Fair Housing Center for Rights and Research, in a press release at the time of the settlement.
Together, the Fair Housing Center has teamed up with the Home Repair Resource Center to invest roughly $650,000 in home repairs in local communities that are 70% Black or Latinx.
Though the settlement is meant to reinvest money in Black and Latinx communities harmed by discriminatory practices, people of any race or ethnicity can apply, Tanesha Hunter, a spokesperson from the Fair Housing Center, told Signal Cleveland. The program is expected to benefit at least 65 area homeowners.
What types of repairs does the fund cover?
Repairs must be considered “necessary for improving the health, safety, accessibility and well-being of the household.” Homeowners in need of emergency repairs and repairs stemming from violations will be given priority over other applicants, according to the program.
Below is the list of categories of covered repairs:
- Roofing
- Drywall/painting
- Heating, ventilation and air conditioning (HVAC)
- General carpentry
- Plumbing
- Gutters/downspouts
- Foundation
- Garage repair/rebuild
- Accessibility modifications
- Siding
- Electrical
- Flooring
How to apply for the home repair fund
Download and submit your application. The application asks for information such as the number of people living in the household and how much money they earn. You will also need to provide information about when the house was built and whether it may contain lead paint hazards or has housing code citations. If you don’t have homeowners’ insurance you will have to sign a waiver of liability. You will also need to describe the repairs.
All eligibility requirements will be confirmed by the Home Repair Resource Center.
How to qualify for the home repair fund
First, you must own and live in a one- to three-unit residence in an eligible census tract in Cuyahoga County. The Fair Housing Center and Home Repair Resource Center identified roughly 100 such tracts throughout the county.
The easiest way to figure out your census tract is to call Home Repair Resource Center at (216) 381-6100. For directions on how to find your own census tract, click here.
You must also:
- Be current on your mortgage and property taxes or on an approved payment plan for delinquent taxes for at least the three prior months.
- Have a home in sound structural condition.
- Meet the income qualifications for the program. Your household – whether it’s just you or you live with other people – can make up to 400% of the federal poverty limit. If you make more than the poverty limit, you may be asked to contribute to the cost of the project.
For more information about the program, contact Carolyn Ostrom at the Home Repair Resource Center at (216) 381-6100 x1 or [email protected].
I don’t qualify. Are there other options for home repair help?
The City of Cleveland offers a few different home repair programs, including the Senior Housing Assistance Program (SHAP). To learn more about city programs, visit their website.
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