About 25 people attended an informational meeting Tuesday about Cape Girardeau's housing rehabilitation program.

The city was awarded a $190,140 grant to create the Cape Girardeau Housing Assistance Repair Program, which will go toward the rehabilitation of 30 housing units, city officials said at the meeting.

Homeowners living within city limits can apply for the program and receive about $6,000 for any home repairs, said Stephen Williams, housing assistance coordinator for the city's Development Services Department.

"It's based on a first-come, first-served basis," he said. "But seniors, those over the age of 62, and the disabled will receive priority."

To qualify for the program -- which is a cooperative effort among the city, Wood & Huston Bank of Cape Girardeau and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, Iowa -- applicants also must have a family income below or at 50 percent of the Department of Housing and Urban Development median income guidelines. For a single person, that equals $19,250 per year and $27,500 a year for a family of four.

According to its website, the Federal Home Loan Bank is one of 12 regional banks in the Federal Home Loan Bank System, which was established by Congress to support mortgage lending and provides a stable source of funding to more than 8,000 federally insured depository institutions. The banks are cooperatively owned by their members -- of which Wood & Huston Bank is one -- and operate independently with their own boards of directors.

Applicants also must own and live in the home they wish to repair.

Those receiving grant money also will be registered for two free housing classes from 4-Sight Counseling Inc. in Cape Girardeau, Williams said. The first class is a post-purchase class that helps homeowners stay on track financially, he said, and the second is a Growing Green/Staying Green class that encourages cost-saving practices.

Michelle Nichols was among the first Cape Girardeau residents at the meeting to fill out an application. She said the program will provide the help many citizens need.

"I'm very pleased to see they're doing something like this for the community," Nichols said. "I know I have a lot of repairs that I've received notice from the city about, that I definitely couldn't afford on my income."

Williams said the repairs can include anything, inside the home or out, but to make the most of the allotted funds, he would assess the home and determine what "critical repairs" should be done first.

As of Tuesday night, Williams said he has received 15 applications. Williams said he will be accepting them "over the next two years as the program continues, or until the funding runs out," he said.

Those with questions or who are interested in filling out an application may call Williams at 339-6327 or stop by the Planning Services office at city hall on 401 Independence Street.

srinehart@semissourian.com

388-3641

Pertinent address:

401 Independence St., Cape Girardeau, Mo.