Financial Assistance for Home Repairs in Sight for Niles’ Low-Income Families
In a recent City Council meeting on Wednesday, Niles City in Ohio in conjunction with Girard, Hubbard, and Cortland, collectively agreed to submit an application for state-level financial aid. This monetary support is being pursued through the Community Housing Impact and Preservation (CHIP) program, a state initiative designed to bolster local community housing efforts.
Niles Mayor, Steve Mientkiewicz, elaborated on the potential benefits that the CHIP grant could bring to these cities. The funding, amounting to approximately $1.5 million, is specifically earmarked for the rehabilitation of homes for families with low to moderate income levels.
The council further endorsed an ordinance authorizing Mayor Mientkiewicz to represent Niles in the application process. This indicates the city’s commitment and intent to secure these funds, highlighting the leadership role taken by the Mayor in the endeavor.
The Mayor elucidated that there are several stages to the application process, including the initial application, a screening procedure, and a scoring process. While it’s important to note that not every application is guaranteed approval, Mientkiewicz encouraged those seeking assistance to actively participate and apply. Comprehensive details regarding the program are readily available on the official Niles city website.
The monetary resources from the 2023 CHIP grant are earmarked for home improvements aimed at bringing homes of low- to moderate-income families up to the latest safety and living standards. This includes houses that require critical interior or exterior maintenance, such as the installation of new siding, or those that have outstanding electrical issues. Such homes could significantly benefit from the assistance facilitated through this grant.
Mayor Mientkiewicz emphasized that all applications are managed by the Neighborhood Development Services (NDS). The NDS will handle both project and grant management, providing a streamlined process for applicants. The mayor assured that all inquiries and applications will be treated with confidentiality, with individuals working directly through NDS.
In another significant development from Wednesday’s meeting, the council authorized the park director to initiate solicitation for design services and environmental review pertaining to the Waddell Park improvement grant project. This project is part of a larger initiative, for which Niles received a $2.5 million federal grant from Congressman Tim Ryan’s office in 2022. The project aims to bring substantial improvements to the park.
Detailed plans for the park upgrades include installing new turf on the baseball fields, a splash pad for children, a state-of-the-art playground, and necessary repairs to the park’s infrastructure. The ordinance that passed at Wednesday’s meeting enables the park board to solicit requests for the design and construction of these new amenities, and conduct an environmental review.
Other council activities included:
- Approval of an ordinance that allows disposal of outdated pavement millings and fill dirt through the internet auction website, Govdeals.
- Approval of another ordinance that authorizes the Mayor to prepare and submit an application for a matching grant from the Ohio Public Works Commission for the upcoming 2024 Niles street resurfacing project. Niles intends to participate in the OPWC’s state capital improvement or local transportation improvement programs, seeking a matching grant of $150,000, which requires a local match amount of $775,782.
- Passage of an ordinance authorizing a change order for United Contractors Inc. to the tune of $8,747, intended for the Niles Senior Center.
- Authorization for the service director to sign a contract with 120 Water, marking the second phase of a contract that assists the city of Niles with the implementation of the Environmental Protection Agency’s copper and lead rule, amounting to $27,080.
