City encourages home improvement surveys | Top Story

BATAVIA — The city is looking for residents willing to complete a survey rating their home improvement needs as it tries to get federal funding to get the repairs made.

The city will hold a public hearing at 7 p.m. June 26, before the next Council meeting, on an application for a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) for this year. The grant would be used to help income-eligible owners of single-family, owner-occupied homes with essential home improvements. If the city receives the grant, eligible homeowners would be able to make the repairs with grant and deferred loan funding.

“The goal of the program would be to provide vibrancy to communities similar to recent improvements made to Summit Street to create vibrant transformation across our city,” Assistant City Manager Erik Fix said in a memorandum to the City Council.

The city has also put out a survey for residents to fill out to understand the city’s needs. Residents may complete the survey online on the city’s website, www.batavianewyork.com or by getting a survey at the Richmond Memorial Library or at the city manager’s office. Surveys must be returned to the city manager’s office by July 7. The grant application is due by Aug. 7.

The survey asks how many people in the household are age 62 or older, what the annual household income was last year for that home, whether the home is run by a female and whether anyone living there is disabled or handicapped. Residents are also asked to rate several features of their house, such as roof, wiring and heating system, from “new” to “poor.” There is room to list other conditions that need improvement.

“Do you want everybody in the city to complete this or those that have a housing issue that might need the help?” said Council President Eugene Jankowski Jr. at Monday’s Council special conference meeting.

Fix said the more surveys, the better.

“We’ll basically … pull out the ones that are actually applicable to what we’re trying to do,” he said.

Councilmember-At-Large Bob Bialkowski asked how many responses there have been so far.

“We’ve got about 10 and we just launched it on Thursday or Friday of last week,” he said.

City Manager Rachael Tabelski said the city tried to get the same grant in 2019, but did not receive it.

“We did a debrief meeting with the folks at HCR (Homes and Community Renewal) and Community Development Block Grant, took that information and will use it if we decide to go forward with the grant application this time, if we get enough surveys back,” she said. “Just filling out the survey … it may qualify you to be contacted again, but then you have to go through an application process and we basically have to work with you on a project. Definitely helpful to residents that need assistance with things like roof, boilers, porches, decks — things they just can’t get to in the normal course of their abilities.”

Councilmember Tammy Schmidt asked if the city knows how much it hopes to receive in grant money.

“Off the top of my head, I believe the maximum for a municipality for this particular grant for single family homes is $500,000,” Fix said. “We’ll be asking for the maximum amount.”

The city said Summit Street is an example for other transformations across Batavia.

“Home improvements are a catalyst for changing the look and feel of a neighborhood and improving residents’ quality of life,” it said. “When one resident makes improvements to their home, others follow.”