City Council To Vote On Senior Home Repair Program

On the last day before Cleveland City Council begins a reduced Summer schedule, the council is set to vote Monday evening on a program that would help seniors with limited income make much-needed home repairs.

Under the " Age Friendly Home Investment Program," seniors with an income less than 250 percent of the poverty level could have the city pay for certain home repairs, such as leaky roofs, broken windows or faulty plumbing. Ahead of the official vote, Council President Kevin Kelley said the $1.3 million program is a worthy investment. 

"This is retaining and creating value in our housing stock, so this has value beyond the senior that is helped," Kelley said.

The program would also cover accessibility improvements, such as lifts and wheelchair ramps. Most councilmembers said they like the idea, but expressed concern the funding was too low, with each of the city's 17 wards getting only $75,000. Kelley said, it's a start. 

"We understand that this amount of money isn't going to fix the world," he said. However, he added that the budget for senior home repairs could be raised next fiscal year if the program is proves successful.

The city's Department of Aging would run the program, and allocate the grants on a first-come-first-served basis. 

The Age Friendly Home Investment Program is the latest in a series of initiatives, led by the Department, to make Cleveland more livable for older residents.