Housing & Community Development

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Community Development Block Grant

Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) funds originate at the federal level in the Housing & Urban Development (HUD) department. CDBG funds are then distributed to the State of Ohio through the Office of Housing and Community Partnerships (OHCP). OHCP then distributes the funds statewide on an annual basis through a formula allocation. This formula allocation is calculated using a formula, population counts, and unemployment estimates. Erie County receives an average of $200,000 a year. Approximately $40,000 is automatically set aside by the state for the City of Vermilion. The remaining portion ($130,000) is distributed at the discretion of the Erie County Commissioners. The average project amount in Erie County has been $25,000 and any project selected either in the City of Huron, City of Vermilion, or a township must meet one of three national objectives set by HUD. These objectives are:

During the spring of each year, notices are sent to each community in Erie County allowing the jurisdiction to submit a proposal for CDBG funding.  Once all proposals are received, two public hearings are held with the County Commissioners to determine which projects have the highest priority; therefore, projects meeting one of the national objectives and having a high priority are usually funded.

Community Housing Improvement Program

The Community Housing Improvement Program (CHIP) Grant is designed to assist low/moderate income home owners improve their existing home, fix emergency situations or help with the down payment to purchase a new home.

This grant proposes a three-pronged approach to improving the Erie County housing stock:

	The first form of assistance is the Home Rehabilitation Program: Homeowners who qualify financially are eligible to receive up to $20,000 in home repairs. This amount is forgiven at the rate of 17% a year for five years or 85% of the amount of the repairs. The remaining 15% of the repairs stay on the house as a lien until the house is sold. Once the house is sold, the lien amount is returned to the County for use in other HUD eligible projects.
	The second form of assistance is Emergency Home Repair: This program will pay up to $5,000 to fix a leaky roof, replace a hot water tank, or replace a faulty furnace. Homeowners must qualify financially and the nature of the repair must be an immediate threat to the health, safety and welfare of the occupants. The emergency home repair program is a direct grant to the homeowner and does not have to be repaid.
	The third form of assistance is the First Time Homebuyers Program: First time homebuyers who qualify financially can receive up to $5,000 in down payment assistance. In addition, $10,000 would be made available for the home to be renovated.
	Community Housing Improvement Program Review

Fair Housing Program

The Erie County Fair Housing Program is here to help Erie County residents by answering housing questions, providing education on housing rights and responsibilities, and offering assistance in filing fair housing complaints.  Fair Housing means one may freely choose a place to live without regard to one's race, color, disability, religion, sex, national origin, or family status.  The Fair Housing Program assists everyone free of charge because fair housing is a right protected by Federal and State law.

Check out the following brochures for more information on Fair Housing in Erie County: