Jackson Mayor Announces Grant to Rehab 46 Township Housing and Rental Units
Jackson Township Mayor Michael Reina and the Jackson Township Committee have announced a grant, made possible through the township’s affordable housing funds, that will bring 46 Jackson Township substandard housing or rental units up to code.
Rehabco, Inc., the designated administrative agency for the Jackson Township Housing Rehabilitation Program, said grants up to $25,000 per owner-occupied or renter-occupied unit are available on a first-come-first-serve basis to income eligible individuals who provide a completed application and supporting material.
The occupants of the units must have incomes that fall within the (2011) income guidelines established for Ocean County by the N.J. Department of Community Affairs (DCA) and/or Council on Affordable Housing (COAH). Income limits are $51,179 for a family of one; $58,490 for a family of two; $65,802 for a family of three; $73,113 for a family of four; $78,962 for a family of five; $84,811 for a family of six; $90,660 for a family of seven; and $96,509 for a family of eight.
Rehabco, an experienced company that has provided rehabilitation services for more than 20 years, reported that rehabilitation funds may be used only for repairs or system replacements necessary to bring a substandard housing units into compliance with municipal health, safety and building codes, applicable code violations, as well as any other cosmetic work that is reasonable and deemed necessary or is related to the necessary repairs.
A 10-year mortgage/lien will be placed on the property in the amount of the rehabilitation contract. That contract amount will only have to be repaid to the program IF the property is sold within 10 years. At the completion of the rehabilitation, all code deficiencies must be corrected and the units must be in compliance with New Jersey State Housing Code N.J.A.C. 5:23-6, among others.
The contractor will file all required permits. Once Rehabco has evidence of this, Rehabco will authorize the project to begin and monitor it to its conclusion. Township officials and Rehabco will perform all final inspections.
Substandard units are those units requiring repair or replacement of at least one major system. A major system is any one of the following: the roof; plumbing, including wells; heating, electrical, sanitary plumbing, including septic systems; load bearing structural systems, lead paint abatement; weatherization (building insulation for attic, exterior walls and crawl space, siding to improve energy efficiency, replacement storm windows and storm doors and replacement windows and doors).
Interested property owners may submit preliminary applications to the program staff. If after the program staff reviews a preliminary application and the owner-occupant appears to be income eligible, an interview will be arranged with the applicant to make a formal application to the program. At the time of the interview, the applicant must present required documentation.
To determine income eligibility and program certification, the following documentation is required. All wage earners in a household, 18 years of age or older, will be required to prove household income. Property owners must include a copy of the deed to the property; proof that property taxes and water and sewer bills are current; proof of property insurance, including liability, fire and flood insurance where necessary; and signed copies of the previous year’s federal and state income tax returns.
Also required are documentation of all taxable and non-taxable income received by all household members. This includes wages (pay stubs), pension, annuity, disability, unemployment, Social Security & Supplemental, interest, dividends, Welfare, alimony, child support, capital gains, business income, rental property income, public assistance, income received from child care or home cleaning, etc. Income documentation for household minors and full-time students is required, but will be waived in determining household gross annual income.
Applicants for rental rehabilitation funding must provide a list of tenants and the rents paid by each. The program staff will contact the tenants to provide evidence of income eligibility of the occupants of the units.
Interested property owners may submit preliminary applications to the program staff. If after the program staff reviews a preliminary application and an owner-occupant appears to be income eligible, an interview will be arranged with the applicant for a formal application to the program. At the time of the interview, the applicant must present required documentation.
After the initial interview and the program staff has substantiated that the occupant is income-eligible, a Letter of Eligibility will be forwarded to the applicant.
Applications are available at the Jackson Township Planning Department, Jackson Town Hall, 95 W. Veterans Highway, Jackson N.J. or from Rehabco, Inc. Office, 470 Mantoloking Road, Brick N.J. Interested parties may also call Rehabco for applications at 732-477-7750.