Habitat for Humanity will receive more than $263,000 to construct six homes for sale. It also will receive $120,000 in federal HOME money to make the homes more affordable, said Jackie Sudhoff, housing program coordinator.
Interfaith Hospitality Network will receive nearly $234,000 to either build or rehab two units for affordable rental housing.
Occupants of all of the homes must meet income guidelines.
The program requires the city to purchase vacant, foreclosed houses that are blighted and demolish or rehab them.
All of the lots for the new or rehabbed homes haven’t been identified, but will be in the area between Limestone Street, and Tibbetts, Catherine and Grand avenues, Sudhoff said.
The city is working on purchasing two lots on Linden Avenue for the Habitat project. When work will begin on the homes depends on how soon the city can purchase properties, Sudhoff said.
The contracts represent the first major projects for the Neighborhood Stabilization Program to combat the effect of foreclosures.
Commissioners also appointed Maureen Sheehan Massaro and Terrance Weinburger to the National Trail Parks and Recreation District board.
Commissioner Kevin O’Neill praised the appointments and urged them to carefully examine building an ice arena.
The National Trail board has been debating where to build the ice rink, which is part of a $17 million capital campaign paid for by private and public dollars.
O’Neill cautioned them to make sure the district can pay to operate the ice rink.
“A business plan is wonderful,” he said. “But if it doesn’t succeed, what’s the backup, and what’s the backup to that?”
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