A state program that provides funding to help homeowners make critical repairs to their properties is starting to have an impact in Berks County, but the process of doling out the money is proving to be a slow one.
Ken Pick, the executive director of the county redevelopment authority who is overseeing the Whole Home Repairs Program, told county commissioners at a recent operations meeting that the process can be lengthy and cumbersome.
The program offers forgivable loans for homeowners to cover repairs that range from relatively minor fixes like patching a leaky roof to major renovations like replacing drafty windows or addressing exposed wiring.
The county applied for funding for the program through the federal American Rescue Plan in summer 2022 following approval of the creation of the program by state lawmakers as part of the state budget. The budget allocated $3.6 million of the $125 million statewide funding for the program to be distributed to Berks residents.
Pick said the number of applications for the program was overwhelming, with the county receiving 228 applications. Of those, only 47 have been approved and just 24 have seen the work completed.
To date, a total of $970,000 has been distributed.
There are 134 applications that have been denied or deprioritized, mainly due to incomplete applications, income eligibility or project cost overrun. The remaining applications are pending.
Jaime Perez, housing planner for the authority, said the challenges they are experiencing processing the applications are mostly due to getting the applicants to submit the paperwork needed in a timely fashion.
“We continue to process the applicants as best we can,” he said. “The staff is doing a great job and we have helped a lot of the applicants with the technical support that is needed.”
Pick said getting an application all the way through the approval process to completed construction is no walk in the park.
“I will tell you, having done this for more years than I would like to mention, that programs like this are never an easy process,” he said. “It’s rewarding helping people rehabilitate their homes to make sure they are safe but it is very administratively intensive. Helping people work through this process, getting contractors, working with contractors — it’s never easy.”
Pick said he believes other counties are struggling in much the same way.
“We are not behind any other county,” he said. “This process takes time.”