Community Development Block Grant (CDBG)
Housing Rehabilitation

The CDBG rehabilitation program repairs houses for low-income owners to bring the houses back to standard condition.

What kind of work is done?

Repairs include, if necessary, repairs to roof, plumbing, electrical and heating systems to meet minimum Building and Electric Codes. Problems with floors, windows, doors, insulation, and other eligible items may also be addressed if needed to bring your home to a safe, standard condition.

Who decides on the work to be done?

An inspector with the City's Community Programs Department determines which problems can be addressed by the program.

Who is eligible?

There are three important eligibility items that must be met:

• Total household income must be low, below about $31,000 yearly income. The income limit varies by the number of people in the household.
• The house must be owner-occupied. This means no rented houses, and no vacant houses are eligible.
• The house must be located within the Ocala City limits and be repairable within the limits of the program. If it would cost more to fix the problems than we can spend on a house, we can not spend money on repairing it. We also can not work on houses that have received work from the CDBG program in the past fifteen years.

Other Requirements:

The funds are provided as a no-interest loan, with 10% of the fix-up funds forgiven each year. After 10 years, no money is owed. The City puts a "lien" on the house for the amount of money spent to fix it. If the house is sold, rented, or otherwise transferred to a different family in the ten years, the City requires that any remaining money be paid back.

For example, if the house is sold after 5 years, 50% or half of the amount has been forgiven, so half of the fix-up cost would be owed to the City. However, if an owner passes away during the ten years, the loan will continue to be forgiven if the heirs occupy the house and are also low income.

For repairs of $10,000 or less, only a five-year lien is placed.

Availability of Funds:

Emergencies, where an immediate threat to health or safety exists, are handled first. Otherwise, funds are available on a first-come, first-served basis. There is a waiting list for assistance. CDBG funds in all cases are available without discrimination as to race, creed, color, age, sex, familial status, handicap, religion or national origin.

Applications:

Application may be made at the City's Community Programs Department. It helps us if you bring a copy of the warranty deed showing that you own your house. If you are an invalid or are unable to travel, we can bring an application to your house.

Call, write or come to the City's Community Programs Department for more information and an application.

Shelly Kopacz
Community Programs Department
City Hall Annex
405 S.E. Osceola Ave.
P.O. Box 1270
Ocala, FL 34478
SKopacz@ocalafl.org
(352) 629-8322