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Homeowners can get help with paint job

A new ordinance requires upkeep. New Port Richey is easing the burden on lower-income residents.

By JODIE TILLMAN
Published August 10, 2006

NEW PORT RICHEY - Help is on the way for homeowners who can't afford to comply with a new requirement that they keep their residences painted and cleaned of dirt and mold.

An income-based program approved by the city's Community Redevelopment Agency on Tuesday night would allow certain homeowners to get city grant money to pay for paint supplies if they do the work themselves.

Under a second option, Habitat for Humanity volunteers would provide the labor for lower income homeowners who cannot or will not do the work. The city would reimburse Habitat for the costs of supplies and services.

"This is one of the programs that needs to be initiated to unblight our town," Deputy Mayor Matthew McCaffery said.

Last month, the New Port Richey City Council passed an ordinance that says, in part, that homes or apartment buildings must be painted or whitewashed when paint begins to "blister, peel, chalk or otherwise deteriorate in a noticeable manner."

At the time members passed the ordinance, however, they expressed concerns that some homeowners would have difficulty affording to keep their residences painted. Officials asked city staff to devise a need-based program that does not require those residents to match the grant.

Homeowners who make less than 80 percent of the median income for the Tampa Bay area may apply.

To qualify, a single person would need to have an annual income of less than $30,450. A family of four would need to make less than $43,500 a year.

Jodie Tillman can be reached at 727 869-6247 or jtillman@sptimes.com.

[Last modified August 9, 2006, 23:07:55]