Bucks County Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Program

    Since its creation in 1962, the Bucks County Redevelopment Authority has eliminated blight and provided affordable housing to County residents. We have improved more than 1700 homes for County homeowners and have improved hundreds of rental properties for the County’s low and moderate income residents. The Redevelopment Authority serves all of Bucks County, which has a population of some 6,000,000 persons living in 31 townships and 23 boroughs.

    The Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Program provides $15,000 as the maximum grant amount and is provided for through a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) by our County Commissioners. It is funded each year with approximately $250,000 to $300,000. The Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Program waiting list is lengthy and inquiries are constantly received from homeowners with no other alternative to save their homes. It should be further noted that no advertisement program has been used and our waiting list is always between fifteen (15) to twenty (20) applicants. Those on the waiting list may suffer even greater damage while on the list which could require additional funds to bring the home up to standard.

    During a ten (10) month period from August 1, 1993 until June 30, 1994, ninety-five (95) Bucks County homeowners were mailed an application for assistance. Fifty four (54) of those came at the beginning of the winter when homeowners discovered they had a problem. Most of these being roof leaks, heaters that will not start up or break down soon after the season begins. The need for weatherization is also urgent. The Authority Staff fielded some one hundred (100) calls during this ten (10) month period. Fortunately, the program guidelines tend to eliminate those applicants whose incomes and assets are at a level where they should be able to provide these needs for themselves.

    An increase in the eligible population and the underlying aging of the County’s housing stock will increase the demand on the Bucks County Housing Rehabilitation Program. Over $5,500.000.00 of Community Development funds have been expended since the County Commissioners began funding this activity in 1976. A defered payment loan program covers all of the rehabilitation work. This loan bears no interest and does not have to be repaid until the property is sold or the title is transferred or the homeowner intents to refinance the home for any other reason than to lower the interest payments without increasing the total balance due.

    Rehabilitation loans are used to bring a home up to code standards, for weatherization of homes and/or for modifications to make the home handicap accessible. It is the intent of the program to bring all problems to code standards. Housing units rehabilitated under this program must meet the minimum housing codes in use within the local municipality. If no codes are in existence, the houses are brought up to the HUD Minimum Property Standards.

    This program is designed to return program income, which is used to assist more families. Loans are secured by a Note of Judgment on the property made payable to the Bucks County Community Development Account. All income is handled in accordance with the rules of the Federal CDBG program. Loan repayments are credited to the budget of the Bucks County Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Program and are used to make further housing rehabilitation loans.