TYLER, Texas — Since Tyler's Critical Home Repair Program ended a few years ago, the city has been searching for ways to reinvest in the homes of lower income residents in Tyler.
Tyler recently entered into a partnership with Habitat for Humanity of Smith County to help residents make much-needed repairs on their homes.
"Could be just for a roof, others could be for accessibility, building ramps, or renovating a bathroom or kitchen for accessibility," Jack Wilson, Habitat for Humanity of Smith County CEO, said.
Wilson said he has seen a growing number of needs in the community for critical home repairs.
"This was a couple of years ago, but we were studying the demographics and there's at least 3,000 seniors [...] that own their own homes to live below the poverty level," Wilson explained.
Habitat already has its own critical home repair program called ReHabitat, which was established in 2009, for the elderly, disabled, or veterans.
"And since that time, we've done 800 plus critical repairs for maybe about 1,000 individuals," Wilson explained.
This program makes more people eligible for critical home repairs, as much as 10 per year.
The city's program is funded by the Community Development Block Grant. Those that qualify for the program can receive up to $10,000.
"But then we can look at layering other grants that we have, and make more of an impact on someone," Wilson said. "The advantage there is that we have multiple different grants that we work with, I think we have five active ones right now. We can be up to eight or so depending on the funding cycle."
To be eligible for the Critical Home Repair Program, you must make less than 80 percent of the area median income.
According to the U.S. Census in 2017, Tyler's median income was $46,463.
"We do have an application process that they have to go through," Wilson said. "Do they own, checking their income, are the taxes paid."
Those that live in mobile homes are not eligible for the program.
If you would like to apply for the Critical Home Repair Program, you can contact Habitat for Humanity at 903-595-6630.