There have been very few good things to say about 2020. However, there is one thing that continues to be good, if not great, and that is the Senior Homeowner Assistance for Repairs Program or SHARP.
While SHARP has flourished in the City of Frankfort for the past two years, Clinton County got its first taste of the program this year, and from all indications, it’s going to be here for awhile.
“This will be the second year that we’ve extended the program into Clinton County and we want to see that program grow,” said SHARP program director for both the city and county Tom Jameson. “We have a healthy Frankfort population that takes advantage of this and we would love to see this extend into the county.”
SHARP is a program for seniors age 62 and above who either live in the City of Frankfort or Clinton County. Residents must also be current and paid for any existing mortgage obligation and property taxes for the subject property; own your home and have resided in it for at least six months; have an entire household income of 80 percent or less of the area median income; and have qualifying repair/modification needs.
Jameson says those repair/modification needs include roofs, windows, exterior doors, guttering, HVAC (furnaces, water heaters, air conditioners, etc.) along with bathroom re-fittings and a ramp system.
“This program continues to evolve,” said Jameson. “The Federal Home Loan Bank (of Indianapolis) is in charge of the grant program and then we funnel it through The Farmers Bank here in town. The city and county have decided specific stipulations. We really want to help our senior homeowners. That’s the focus (of the program).”
In 2020, there were 19 individuals in Frankfort and eight in the county who participated in the program. The amount spent for those improvements totaled around $191,000. Jameson added the money for next year is determined by a certain percentage of the previous year’s revenues of the Federal Home Loan Bank that is determined in late March or early April.
“This year, there was $6.2 million available for all of Indiana and all of Michigan,” said Jameson. “We’re allowed to access up to $300,000 of that for our community through the main bank we work with which is The Farmers Bank.”
Homeowners who believe they may qualify are encouraged to contact Jameson at 765-650-1969 to see if they are eligible. Jameson is encouraging people to get on the list because their requests will be dealt with in the order they were received. He added grant funds run out usually in mid-summer.