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Frustrated KCMO homeowners want to know if they received home repair grant

Many applied in March, say they've been left in dark
Posted at 5:51 PM, Nov 21, 2019
and last updated 2019-11-21 19:19:17-05

KANSAS CITY, MO. — After applying for a grant to help with home repairs several months ago, many Kansas City, Missouri, homeowners are patiently waiting to see if they were approved.

In March, the city told 41 Action News that the $476,000 grant could be spent on exterior work on homes in four East Side neighborhoods: North Blue Ridge, Sheffield, Blue Valley and McCoy Park. The grant is through the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines, and homeowners needed to meet certain guidelines to apply.

One of the first homeowners to apply, Bernice Howe, said that months after submitting her application, her patience is now waning.

"Nine months later, nothing,” Howe said. “Shoot, tell me something, just don't leave me hanging."

Howe said she would use the grant money to help pay for new windows and fix up her siding and driveway. Currently, those repairs fall outside of her fixed-income budget.

"I just need help, and if it's out there I'd sure like to have it," she said.

But so far, she hasn't heard back to see if she's officially approved for the repairs. Because of the delay, she’s now considering whether to sell her house.

"If I can't get any help, I’ll probably sell this house in the spring,” Howe told 41 Action News. “I just don't have any choice."

The city is urging those who applied for the grant to be patient.

"The process is slow. I can't speed time up when … you're dealing with the federal government's money,” said John Baccala, spokesman for KCMO's Department of Neighborhood and Housing Services. “There are a lot of checks and balances we have to go through.”

According to Baccala, 35 people applied for the grant, and the city has identified 25 houses from the four neighborhoods for approval. But the city’s decision is not set in stone, and the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development needs to look everything over.

"Because of the paperwork process, it's not finalized yet,” Baccala said. “There still might be some changes as we go along.”

Despite the prolonged process, many are hoping that good things will come to those who wait.

"To leave people in the dark when they're hanging on by their wit's end, you know, you get frustrated," Howe said.

The city says it will not announce publicly which homes were approved for the grant because of paperwork that still needs to be finalized.

The repairs may start in December of this year.