When I began working as the City of Victoria’s community development planner, one of the first owner-occupied home rehabilitation projects I worked on involved an older gentleman who needed help with a gaping hole in his roof.
This was someone who had owned his own home for many years, but he could no longer afford essential repairs.
It can be hard to think about the many people in Victoria who are lacking basic necessities, but fortunately, the City is able to provide some relief through our Community Development Block Grant program. Each year, we receive an allotment from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), and we use these funds to help low- to moderate-income residents.
One of the core tenets of the CDBG program is sustainability. We want to lift residents up so that eventually, they will no longer need assistance from us or our partners. That way, they can move on and we can help other people.
We are currently seeking applicants for our down payment and closing cost assistance program for first-time homebuyers. We call this our “unicorn” program because it helps people who fit a unique profile: You must make less than 80% of Victoria’s median family income, but you must also qualify for a mortgage.
Last year we were able to help a single mother of four buy her first home, and we have funds available to help three more households. To learn more about the program and to find out if you qualify, visit www.victoriatx.gov/cdbg.
One of our most popular programs is our owner-occupied home rehabilitation program, the same program that helped the gentleman with the hole in his roof. In addition to repairs, we can also fund accessibility improvements for elderly or disabled residents, like a woman who asked us to help her install a walk-in shower and safety rails after she fell several times getting in and out of her shower.
Along with our in-house programs, we could not be successful without the support of our nonprofit partners. HUD limits how much we can spend on administrative costs and public service activities. It would be impossible for us to handle everything in-house, so we partner with agencies that are already providing services to low- to moderate-income residents.
Here are a few of the projects we’ve supported recently:
- Gulf Bend Center: Assisted in the renovation of the first-floor mental health clinic
- Victoria Housing Authority: Improved weatherization at the Leary Lane complex
- Salvation Army: Improved dorm safety, including ladders and railings for beds
Nonprofits who’d like to partner with us can apply for funds starting in April. We review applications and present our funding recommendations to the City Council in June. Then, we hold a public comment period starting in July to get the community’s input. City Council has the final approval on CDBG funding. Approval on final CDBG funding is given in August.
To learn more about the CDBG program, visit www.victoriatx.gov/cdbg.
Zachary Wendel is the community development planner for the City of Victoria.