RESIDENTIAL REPAIR (REHAB) PROGRAMS

The City of East Chicago’s Department of Redevelopment manages and allocates a portion of the federal Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) and Home Investment Partnerships (HOME) Program funds, which are granted by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), to execute the “Housing Rehab Programs,” otherwise known as the “Residential Repair (Rehab) Programs.” Household income limits for these funding sources are prescribed yearly through HUD. The Rehab Programs provide federally-funded grants and loans to eligible, low- and moderately low-income, homeowners of this city, which enable them to have repairs made to their existing, single-family, owner-occupied home in compliance with local building codes and housing standards. The Residential Repair Programs include four categories; they are:

  • Residential Repair (Rehab) Program (city-wide)
  • Emergency Repair Program (city-wide)
  • Ramp (Accessibility) Program, (city-wide)
  • Exterior Façade Renovation Program (allocated toward a single neighborhood)

Purpose

The Rehab Programs address needs that remedy health and safety conditions, and/or code violations for eligible, single-family, owner-occupied homeowners. Assistance covered by the Program includes, but is not limited to, repairs to the:

  • Electrical systems
  • HVAC systems
  • Plumbing systems
  • Roofing systems
  • Safety systems

Grant Amounts

Grant funding assistance is prescribed per specific Program category to eligible homeowners. Amounts that exceed the grant will be incurred by the homeowner as a low interest loan, which is secured by a recorded Mortgage and Promissory Note. Assistance is limited to one-time per owner-occupied residence.

Application

An onsite review of the house and property must be made by Rehab Staff prior to receiving an application for the Rehab Program, which is provided through the City of East Chicago’s Department of Redevelopment located at:
 4525 Indianapolis Blvd. - 2nd Floor
 East Chicago, IN 46312

Additional information about the Residential Repair (Rehab) Programs may be obtained by calling 219-391-8513, Extensions 2089, or 2091.

Frequently Asked Questions

 

1.   Can I rehabilitate a property owned by my parents, but they do not live there?

 

No. The Residential Repair (Rehab) Programs are specifically limited to an owner-occupied dwelling. Your parents could make application to participate in the Program at their primary dwelling within the City of East Chicago, Indiana. The occupant must have fee simple title to the property being proposed for rehabilitation. Contract sales purchases are excluded.


2.   If I submit my name to the rehab waiting list, how soon can the Rehab Program assist me with my home repairs?

 

Due to the large interest in the Residential Repair (Rehab) Programs, a first-come first-served waiting list is utilized. Currently, there is a multi-year cavity between the time an interested homeowner is listed and pulled for processing. In special situations where safety or special needs of property or persons is confirmed, priority may be authorized to serve that particular need of an eligible homeowner using the applicable Emergency Repair Program or Ramp (Accessibility) Program.

3. Can I do any of the work myself? 

 

No. Homeowners are not allowed to personally perform any non-emergency home repairs during the Residential Repair (Rehab) Program’s construction period. The Program work must be accomplished by permitted contractors that are locally licensed, insured, and bonded. Any homeowner’s personal repair project(s) that began before the start of the Program’s construction period are required to be complete, including, if applicable, city inspection reports indicating proof that homeowner’s personal repair project is code compliant.