Erie County Social Services, Home HeadQuarters, partners offer homeowner revolving loan fund program

Homeowners meeting income eligibility requirements can receive loans up to $25,000 for health & safety home improvements and repairs

The Erie County Department of Social Services, in partnership with the Erie County Poverty Committee, Home HeadQuarters and with other support, is offering the Erie County revolving loan fund program for income-eligible homeowners in Erie County to address remediation of lead hazards in the home and other health and safety emergency repairs such as furnace replacement, electrical repairs, sewer/plumbing emergencies and more. The Erie County Poverty Committee committed $400,000 in funding to this program, a pilot project that kicked off in 2020 and is seen as having great potential to be a catalyst to a larger fund to address health and safety concerns in Erie County housing. The City of Buffalo and private banks also contributed funding to support the program.

“The revolving loan fund program gives homeowners the assistance they need to make their residences safer and healthier for themselves and their loved ones,” Erie County Commissioner of Social Services Marie Cannon SAID. “Working with partners like nonprofit Home HeadQuarters makes this critical funding accessible to eligible homeowners quickly so they can make needed improvements.”

“Home HeadQuarters is honored to administer the revolving loan fund as part of this important collaboration to benefit Erie County homeowners,” Home HeadQuarters CEO Kerry Quaglia said. “Erie County families are fortunate to have Rev. Kinzer Pointer, chair of the Erie County Poverty Committee, Erie County officials and everyone at the table working together to ensure access to affordable financing.”

Pointer said, “This loan fund is a real opportunity for the members of our community who require just a little help. It will enable us to help them remain in their homes and keep the house safe and healthy. This is good stuff!”

•Revolving Loan Fund Program Details:

√ Loans of up to $25,000 for health, safety and emergency-related repairs;

√ Loans have a simple 3.5% fixed interest rate and are payable over seven years;

√ Household must meet income eligibility requirements (80% or less than the area median income);

√ Homeowner chooses the contractor, but contractor must be insured and have proper certification;

√ Home repaired must be primary residence;

Applications can be found at NeighborWorks Community Partners-Buffalo, https://nwcpbuffalo.org/, or by calling 716-217-2468, or at Home HeadQuarters, www.homehq.org, or by calling 315-474-1939.

Applicants’ mortgage, taxes and water bill must be current to participate in this program. Home HeadQuarters may ask for additional documents in order to qualify applicants for special programs, if applicable.

Homeowners applying for the revolving loan fund program are required to provide:

√ Proof of income for all members who reside in the household;

√ Copy of federal tax returns from the past two years; if the applicant does not file federal tax returns, bank statements from the last three months will be required;

√ Copy of picture I.D.; and,

√ Copy of declarations page of their homeowner’s insurance policy

Homeowners are strongly encouraged to get an estimate from a contractor prior to submitting their application.

Household income eligibility requirements for the revolving loan fund are:

√ 1-person household: $43,500

√ 2-person household: $49,700

√ 3-person household: $55,900

√ 4-person household: $62,100

√ 5-person household: $67,100

√ 6-person household: $72,050

√ 7-person household: $77,050

√ 8-plus person household: $82,000

For more information on the Erie County Department of Social Services, visit https://www2.erie.gov/socialservices/.