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The City of Williamsport, through a STEP partnership, will see more homes in poor shape rehabilitated and prepared for new families.
City Council approved a resolution authorizing execution of an Owner Developer Rehabilitation Agreement between the city and STEP as presented by Austin Daily, housing programs manager with the city Department of Community and Economic Development.
In April, Daily came before council with a similar item that was for acquisition purposes.
The resolution and this one were split because the department was up against a time deadline to spend funds by the end of this summer, so that the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) does not pull them back.
In doing this in the two-parts, that allowed the city to acquire properties for the program and now this agreement will allow STEP to perform the needed rehabilitation work on those properties to allow the city to get them back on the market and get homes for those falling in the low to moderate income range who will inevitably move into them, he said.
Rachelle Abbott, president and CEO of STEP, was in attendance.
She provided some "good news" regarding the program.
"We have purchased our second home in the City of Williamsport," she said.
Purchase of the second home will allow the organization to expend those dollars that the city needed to spend by the end of the summer. "Then, we will be doing the rehabilitation of those two homes," Abbott said.
One of the homes is on Railway Street in the East End of the city, which is nearly complete as the boiler is being worked on and another is on 681 First Ave., she said.
Both of the homes were in disrepair, be brought back to life and have a 15-year affordability period for the family who will be sold the home.
"With the great folks at the city we are able to get two this summer so it's really, really exciting," Abbott said.
Much of the construction work is done in-house and there are "local contractors for the specialty items like roofing that our crews do not do," she said.
"It's great to have a partner right in our backyard that's so good with these kinds of programs and we greatly appreciate your willingness to be our partner," Council President Eric Beiter said.
Echoing that sentiment was Councilman Jonah Milliken.
He, too, said how grateful he was "STEP is here to help people in need."
He said he had a STEP orientation that was helpful and was thankful to Daily and the team for making this happen.