During a City Council Health and Human Services Committee meeting last fall, Council Member Stephanie Howse-Jones asked if city money to help seniors make home repairs was distributed equitably across Cleveland’s wards.
“How are we ensuring an equitable investment throughout the City of Cleveland?” asked Howse-Jones, who represents Ward 7.
Cleveland’s Senior Homeowner Assistance Program (SHAP) is available to seniors and adults with disabilities who need money to make critical repairs to their homes. Examples of common repairs are electrical, plumbing, ramp installation and roof replacement. The money can only be used to address one repair, according to the application.
What we learned
Over the last two years, the city gave grants to 116 homeowners from the repair fund adding up to more than $2.9 million. The highest number of grants – 15 – went to Ward 9, according to the city. The cost of those projects was $354,961. Ward 9 is represented by Council Member Kevin Conwell and includes the Glenville and University Circle neighborhoods.
The two wards that received the least amount of grant money from the program were Wards 16 and 17.
Ward 16 received two grants totaling $33,330. Ward 16 is represented by Council Member Brian Kazy and includes the West Side neighborhoods of Bellaire-Puritas and West Park.
Ward 17 received two grants for a total of $40,525. Ward 17 is represented by Council Member Charles Slife and includes West Park, Kamm’s Corners and part of the Puritas neighborhood.
The repair program typically has a budget of $900,000 per year to fund repairs, said Marie Zickefoose, a city spokesperson. The annual budget can vary because it is tied to federal funding from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. SHAP funds are not tied to individual wards, she said.
Senior home repair program has strict income requirements
The program’s strict income requirements affect how the money is distributed, according to Mary McNamara, director of aging for the City of Cleveland.
“Where there is income inequality, that’s where you’ll see the difference across wards,” she said.
Because the program has strict income requirements, most of the money goes to wards where single-person households are living on $23,050 per year or less.
“There’s no give on that,” she said.
The most common reason that SHAP applications are denied is that residents make too much money to qualify for the program. For example, of 203 rejections in 2023, 96 were denied because they made too much money.
Another common reason that SHAP applications are rejected is because the resident had unpaid property taxes, another strict requirement of the program.
SHAP’s eligibility requirements:
- Cleveland resident who owns and lives in a single- or two-family home in need of repair.
- At least 60 years old unless receiving disability payments. If receiving such payments, can be between 18 and 59 years old.
- The home cannot be in active foreclosure or bankruptcy.
- Property taxes must be current or, if on a payment plan with Cuyahoga County, three payments in a row must be made before someone can apply.
- The total household income cannot exceed the limits for the program. For example, a single-person household cannot make more than $23,050 per year.
- Cannot receive a grant twice within a 10-year period.
Need repairs but don’t qualify for SHAP?
In addition to SHAP, the city has a similar program for seniors and adults with disabilities in need of home repairs. The Age-Friendly Home Investment Program has a higher income threshold – $36,450 for a single-family household – and the money is tied to individual wards.
Although the funding is limited, the program expects to fund roughly 10 to 12 projects per ward each year.
“It’s one of our most popular programs,” said McNamara.
Visit the city’s website to learn more about the Age-Friendly Home Investment Program.
More senior help
Cleveland helps seniors with lawn care: How the program works
The Cleveland Department of Aging free lawn care service fills up fast. Residents can join the mailing list to get next year’s application.