N. Hempstead offers home improvement loans

The Town of North Hempstead’s Community Development Agency is offering non-interest home rehabilitation loans that turn into grants after five years.

The loans, from $6,000 to $40,000, are available to limited-income households for repair or remodeling. They are funded through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Eligible homeowners must be in an unincorporated area of the town and have lived in their homes for at least one year. Household income limits range from $58,400 for one person to $109,400 for a household of eight.

Grant awards will be issued on an individual basis. Eligible work includes removing housing code violations or hazardous materials such as lead, repairing plumping or heating and remodeling roofs, gutters and windows.

“A lot of people are house rich and they don’t have the money to make the improvements,” said Joseph Santamaria, assistant director of the agency. “This is a great opportunity to have these things fixed. It’s a neighborhood benefit.”

The non-interest, non-payment loan is forgiven after five years, but must be repaid if a recipient sells the home within five years.