Certain Henderson Co. residents eligible for $500,000 grant

HENDERSON, Tenn. — Certain Henderson County residents may be eligible for a $500,000 grant.

The Southwest Human Resource Agency announced the Henderson County Home Rehabilitation program, meant to target low to moderate income residents in the county who need their homes up to code.

“We’re there for safety and for code regulations, to make sure they have an energy-efficient and safe environment to live in,” said Director of Southwest Tennessee Community Development Patti Pickler.

Henderson County was one of those affected by the late October storms. Pickler says the money wasn’t originally for those homes, but it can help the homeowners currently recovering.

“We applied before and received it before the storms, but we feel like some of the homes that were involved in the storm might also be interested,” Pickler said.

Anything from HVAC issues, to the presence of lead paint can be addressed by the grant money.

Being up to code isn’t just for safety; it could make an impact on your wallet.

“It can mean that your home is now eligible for homeowner’s insurance. A lot of companies, there’s certain restrictions they have on homes that they can’t write because maybe they need repairs,” State Farm insurance agent Wes Harris said.

“We’ll do a complete inspection and write up to bring the house up to code,” Harris said.

In order to apply, you must meet the income requirements and live in the areas of: Middleburg, Reagan, Sardis, Scotts Hill, Shady Hill, Cedar Lake area, Darden and Chesterfield.

“A lot of these are low to moderate income households who live from paycheck to paycheck, and helping them with little things that could lower their utility bills or make their lives simpler is what the program is all about,” Pickler said.

Manufactured housing, such as mobile homes, is not included.