Senior Assistance Program - Emergency Home Repair for Seniors and Disabled

The Emergency Home Repair Assistance Program for seniors and disabled is a program operated by the City of Coffeyville’s Housing & Community Development Department. Funding for the program is provided by the Housing and Community Development portion of the ½-cent sales tax fund.

The purpose of the Emergency Home Repair Assistance Program is to provide financial assistance to low and moderate income elderly and physically disabled Coffeyville homeowners who require emergency repair work or accessibility modifications. Repairs or replacement of mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural systems which show obvious signs of deterioration, as well as modifications to the residence for the physically handicapped, are eligible.

An emergency repair is any repair necessary to correct an impending safety or health hazard, threat of physical danger, or deteriorating structural damage to residences owned by City of Coffeyville residents who are eligible. A grant for eligible emergency home repairs can be made to eligible residents with an approved application. The maximum grant amount is $1,500 based on 100% of the repair cost. The minimum grant amount is $100. Applicants will be limited to one application, one emergency repair item, and one grant during the program year as long as funds are available. Only repair work that has received approval in advance by the Housing & Community Development Department will be eligible for a grant. 

Emergency Repairs Which May Qualify for a Grant

• Mechanical, electrical, plumbing and structural systems, which show obvious signs of deterioration or require emergency repair.
• Drainage improvements to prevent or correct flooding of structures.
• Roof, if due to water leakage, damage or severe deterioration (not caused by storm damage, that should be covered by insurance).
• Building security.
• Stoves or refrigerators if existing equipment is unusable or unsafe.
• Replacement of fencing or tree removal if damage could result to structures.
• Improvements and modifications to the residence for physically disabled persons.
• Replacement of carpet if a trip hazard exists, or if hard flooring is necessary for handicapped improvements. 

Projects That Do Not Qualify for a Grant

• General home repairs, cleaning, regular or seasonal maintenance.
• Exterior or interior painting; any interior improvement such as wallpaper or paneling.
• Regular replacement or upgrading of household appliances.
• Landscaping, including tree pruning or cleanup of weeds and debris.
• Insulation (Ask our office about the Weatherization Program).
• Purchase of equipment used to make home repairs. Any repair work covered by insurance or warranty.
• New construction, expansion or remodeling.
• Pool, sauna or hot tub installation or repair.

Are You Eligible to Receive an Emergency Home Repair Grant? To be eligible, you must meet the following requirements:

• You must be the owner-occupant of the home on which the repair work is to be made.
• Your home must be located within the City limits of Coffeyville.
• You must be at least 65 years of age or older on the day of application, or you must be permanently disabled of any age.
• You must have proof of insurance on the property.
• All property taxes must be paid to date.

Grant funds are available to Coffeyville residents whose income does not exceed 125% of the area median income:

How You Can Qualify for an Emergency Repair Grant

• You must complete and submit an application along with at least one written estimate and obtain approval in advance to be eligible.
• If prior approval cannot be obtained due to the seriousness of the emergency, you may be eligible provided you contact the Housing & Community Development Department by the next working day. You must also show proof of the work that was completed with written receipts.
• To obtain an application, call 620-252-6130 or come to our office at 102 W. 7^th Street. We can also provide you with a list of local contractors if you should need information about locating a contractor who does home repair work.
• When we receive your application or telephone call, a member of the Housing & Community Development staff will call on you to inspect the work that needs to be done to approve the repair work for eligibility in the Emergency Home Repair Program.
• A staff member will then issue you an approval notice detailing the scope of work and the contractors information that will be performing the work.
• When the work is finished and inspected by city staff, the contractor that performed the work will invoice the city and the city will pay the contractors invoice.
• If the scope of work will be more $1500, the applicant is allowed to pay the difference. These details will be added to the approval form for both city staff and applicant to sign. When the work is complete, the contractor will invoice the city for up to $1500 and invoice the home owner for the balance.
• If the total cost of the work does not exceed $300, the work can be completed by the homeowner. In this instance, the city will purchase the supplies to complete the work and deliver them to the homeowner. An inspection will need to be done once the project is complete.

Permits

Projects costing $300 or more will need to be completed by a licensed contractor and that contractor will need to apply for a permit in order to complete the work.

Confidentiality

Any personal or financial information submitted by an applicant will be confidential and will be only available to the City of Coffeyville Housing & Community Development staff.

Applications are available in the Housing Department at City Hall - 102 W. 7th