Home Rehabilitation Program Eligibility Expanded

Too few foreclosures? A federal program that had been limited to funding the purchase, rehabilitation, and re-sale of foreclosed homes has expanded to include vacant or substandard homes. Local agencies say foreclosed homes have been hard to find. 

The community development departments of Yuba County, West Sacramento and Yuba City are the only ones in California to qualify for the most recent phase of the Housing and Urban Development Department's "Neighborhood Stabilization Program."

Raul Huerta with the City of West Sacramento says HUD's decision to allow run-down or vacant homes not in foreclosure to be rehabilitated will help the City improve more communities.

"We're also trying to provide  housing to low and very-low-income households and at the same time helping the local housing market by getting property values up again and getting those properties back into the tax roll," Huerta says.

Sean Powers is with the Yuba County Community Development Department. He says HUD's "Neighborhood Stabilization Program" has already helped the community.

"You take the house that is maybe not the greatest one that just hasn't had any substantial rehab, and really fix it up to what our standards is, you see some positive change in the community," Powers says. "The neighbors around it are ecstatic about it. You're investing in the local economy.I mean, it's just good stuff all the way around."

Powers says foreclosed homes have been hard to come by and the expansion of the program" will bring more homes into the mix. So far, Yuba County has renovated and sold twelve homes in the community of Linda.

HUD has allocated about $11 million to the three agencies.  The three say they hope to have rehabilitated about 60 homes by the time the program ends in 2015.

Before and after shots of a home in the Yuba County community of Linda. Bob Moffitt / Capital Public Radio

Before and after shots of a home in West Sacramento. Bob Moffitt / Capital Public Radio