MONTAGUE — The Selectboard voted to reallocate $106,909 in leftover federal grant money toward Franklin County’s Housing Rehabilitation Program during Monday’s meeting.
The funding came from a fiscal year 2020 Community Development Block Grant that primarily benefited the $288,000 sidewalk rehabilitation project outside the Shea Theater Arts Center and Colle Opera House building. In total, Montague received $675,519 as part of Massachusetts’ $34 million FY20 award round, which was announced by Gov. Charlie Baker in March 2021. The money was awarded to fund housing rehabilitation assistance, Avenue A streetscape improvements, a design for Hillcrest Elementary School’s playground improvements and improved social services.
The Housing Rehabilitation Program, which services 24 Franklin County towns, provides “an affordable means for homeowners to bring their homes into compliance with building codes, perform needed repairs and weatherize their homes,” according to the program’s website.
“There’s plenty of need here in town for the housing rehab program,” said Brian McHugh, director of community development with the Franklin County Regional Housing & Redevelopment Authority, the organization that oversees the program. “It’s been a very successful program and we’re seeing more and more of this need.”
The housing authority initially set a goal to rehabilitate three housing units with funding awarded in FY20. Currently, McHugh said, the program has completed four units and has one more under construction. Plus, one unit is now out to bid and three others are about to go out to bid.
“It’s very likely that we’re not going to be able to address everybody even if we reallocated this money,” McHugh said, “so I think this $106,909 would go a long way for addressing a lot of the need that the town has right now.”
Previously, around $58,000 in program income money, or payback for previous loans, was accounted for as available funding, according to McHugh. Around $120,000 in FY21 grant funding is now earmarked for the rehabilitation of three units. FY22 grant funding is not yet available, with awards due in March.
The Selectboard responded positively to McHugh’s recommendation that the funding be reallocated, swiftly voting in approval.
“In my past, when I did wiring inspections, I saw many residents that benefited from these funds, so I think it’s an important program,” said Chair Rich Kuklewicz, who served as Montague’s electrical inspector until 2018.
Reach Julian Mendoza at 413-772-0261, ext. 261 or jmendoza@recorder.com.