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Century Corrects Housing Grant Estimates To Upgrade, Rebuild Homes
September 17, 2011
The Town of Century has corrected dollar figures used in a NorthEscambia.com article published Thursday about grant-funded housing rehabilitation projects. According to town consultant Debbie Nickles, incorrect dollar amounts were included in a memo presented to the Century Town Council due to mathematical error. Work on each house will include rehabilitation plus $10,000 in hurricane retrofits.
Nickles said she was unaware that the cost estimates provided to her already included the hurricane retrofits, so each estimate presented to the Town of Century was inflated by $10,000. “I added an additional $10,000 to each housing unit, therefore, providing an inflated cost estimate,” she said in a Friday afternoon email.
The incorrect dollar amounts provided by the Town of Century have been corrected in the article and table below.
Century has began the selection of houses to be rehabilitated or reconstructed with three quarters of a million dollars in grant money.
The town was awarded a $650,000 Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to rehabilitate or replace about nine homes that are currently occupied by persons of low or moderate income. The town also received $100,000 in Residential Construction Mitigation Program Funds for hurricane retrofits.
The town has selected five homes so far to be rehabilitated under the programs. Estimated project costs for the five homes range from $18,300 for a mobile home at 306 East Pond Street (pictured left) to $49,300 for repairs to a home at 521 East Hecker Road (pictured top). (See complete list below.)
The town has also awarded a $875 contract to Swinney & Associates to survey a property at 7820 Jefferson Avenue. The program funds will pay to demolish that house and construct a new home for those residents.
The application process for the grant money is closed. Additional properties to receive repairs and upgrades will be announced at a later date.
Pictured top: A grant will pay for $49,300 in repairs and hurricane upgrades to this home on East Hecker Road in Century. Pictured inset: $18,300 will be spent on this 1988 mobile home on East Pond Street. Pictured below: $36,550 will go toward this home on East Pond Street. North Escambia.com photos, click to enlarge.
Comments
35 Responses to “Century Corrects Housing Grant Estimates To Upgrade, Rebuild Homes”
With all these negative comments about this federal grant, perhaps Mayor McCall should just send the money back to Washington, and refuse future funds as well. I knew the citizens of Century were proud but I had no idea how deep that pride went. Im sure there is someplace in the world, that can accept these monies, without becoming offended by charity. PRIDE, I alway though the devil was a tough old bird for refusing the Grace of God. I always thought him a fool as well.
There is no such thing as “free money” . Somebody, somewhere is paying the bills. Why should anyone work and save their money for home repairs when you can sit down, do nothing and get your home fixed for nothing. The government is broke—yet we are giving folks 28 thousand dollars to “repair” a trailer. This is absolutely disgusting. Sorry —but I was raised in a small house that was hot in the summer and cold in the winter. We heated with wood my daddy chopped with an axe after plowing a mule all day. Thank God! It gave me drive and ambition which our country is fast losing.
To Flomaton
I don’t go into Bondurants anymore because of him laying off his best workers and the ones that had been with him and made the store a success. Ride by and see there are hardly any customers anymore. Others didn’t like it either
Resident, I would sincerely encourage you to seek assistance on your roof. The people that recieved these grants, were identified by someone, as needing help. There is no shame in asking for help. You sound just like so very many of us, who are being overrun by inflation. Your efforts are 105%, but it is still not enough. I do not know you, but I recomend shouting out. Let us not be angry when we see those who need help recieve it. If we ourselves need help, let us pray to the Lord that we have a turn as well. Some of these estimates may need to be reviewed again. Thats my opinion.
I agree with Flomaton Resident. I did a search and there are so many grants that mayors can get to revitalize their towns. However, Bondurant won’t do it becuase he pose a risk of attracting industries to the town. He doesn’t need any competition for his lumber business. He works the people hard and pay them peanuts, then he’s prejudice on top of that, take inventory of who he lays off during layoff time after the same employees have worked for him for twenty or so years.
Therefore, anyone would leave that rat hole for a better job opportunity.
That’s why he does nothing for Flomaton. Great job Century for helping your residents!!!!!!
When they are building new homes for residents that need them ,for some special people that have property that they want ,they tell them that if their income increases the”ll have to MOVE OUT OF THEIR HOMES ,AND OFF OF THEIR LAND.!!!!!!!!!!! NO GO.
That elderly gentleman sitting on the front poarch, does not appear able to stand on a ladder and paint, much less repair a roof.My main concern is ensuring maximum effectiveness of expendetures. Let us get competent repair persons, quality materiel, at lowest cost. The most bang for our buck.We bought only the best for Bagdad, does Century deserve any less?
regarding:
“DID THE GOVERNMENT BORROW MONEY FROM CHINA AND OTHER NATIONS TO FIX HOUSES IN CENTURY?”
Yes, they did.
David considering funding source for good things
I see one of the homes has a wheelchair ramp, I am glad they are getting some help. =)
Was this some of the money that was taken out of my paycheck?
They already have a nicer house than I do.
I guess somehow I owe it to them.
This is great for those people but what is the criteria for recieving the help? Who decided, nobody asked me, I would never spend money on a trailer, build them a small cottage. Actually that money could have done better to build some cottages for the elderly. And while I’m at it, the math says you are along ways from spending all the money where is the rest of it going???? I want every dime accounted for, and who decided who would do the repairs????
Will their property taxes go up when the value of their homes increase with the improvements? Are they allowed to sell their homes after the improvements and pocket the extra money? Just curious….
Have you priced building material lately? That sounds like a lot of money but you can’t do anything to your home without it costing you a great deal.
It is a good thing that the Town is doing for the elderly.
I’m sorry …but…..what is wrong with the trailer? It looks in good shape to me. Why would you put that much money into a trailer anyway…..thats over twice what the trailer is worth to begin with.
Heck, I’d be happy with a small plot of dirt, a tent, and an outhouse.
When you have a home and property that is appraised at, say, $55,000. Even if you renovate the home and invest another $20k to $30k into it , you still have an old home. The neighborhood the home is in will keep the property from increasing in value so you still have a home worth $55k. Just doesn’t make sense.
The country is broke, but we can still afford to fix up trailers in
Century that will not be worth anything again in 10 years.
We CAN’T PAY OUR DEBT and we are sending ONE BILLION DOLLARS A DAY
out of this country for oil for our cars when we have natural gas we can use right here.
I’m all for a help where help is needed, but this money is ridiculous
and is a large waste for a broke country. We don’t make anything to
sell to other countries yet all our money goes out of this country to
buy THEIR products.
It’s bad enough that Washington just keeps giving
hand outs, but I can’t believe anyone lets their town leaders
take it and squander it also.
Someone in Government has to take a stand and stop taking
the stupid Federal Hand outs.
It’s our money no matter what pocket it comes from.
DID THE GOVERNMENT BORROW MONEY FROM CHINA AND OTHER NATIONS TO FIX HOUSES IN CENTURY?
I sure wished somebody would build me a free house. I am the one out there working night and day providing for my family and the taxes taken out of my check pay for stuff like this, don’t get me wrong thats great to do things like this if these people are disabled and can’t work but I work hard and long for what I have.
So, let me get this right….$210,230 for 4 houses and 1 mobile home? Seriously? When I first heard of this, I was thinking how great it would be to help SO many families…well now after these posted “estimates” I’m a little put off. At those rates (which are ridiculous!) there will only be a handful of families to benefit from these funds. Each one of these projects are going to cost more than what each property is even worth. Not feeling it anymore!
Guess I didn’t realize they were going for a “Home Makeover Show”. This is just a severe waste of money. Sure these 5 families will be happy in their, basically brand new homes..but many other families could have used some of that money to repair their homes also.
I wish Molino had a program like this-I know of plenty of families who could use about $15,000 and do GREAT improvements to their homes. Which would leave plenty of funds left over for others.
Somebody come to Molino and build us new houses or GREATLY refurbish the ones we have…we’ll be happy to share $750,000 with each other.
So, in case my vote ever counts in this world, I say “NAY” on this wastefullness!
Why even go to work anymore? Let the government take care of everything. I can’t afford to fix up my house but my tax money is being used to fix other peoples. Great world.
This is great for the people that need this. The country can’t afford to pay its bills go figure. All I hear is default.
Laughing you are so very right! We should be pouring hundreds of billions into the sand, for the benefit of heathens, that would just as soon see us dead.
I’m happy for the residents getting this upgrade… but honestly it will be money wasted if they can not keep up the repairs of their home themselves!
First thing I thought reading this story, “it’s all for nothing if they don’t keep their grass cut, and keep things fixed around their property.”
I know a few disabled people who could use a new floor in their house, ramp, etc. When do they get a hand out? Oh that’s right… they struggle to work, pay their own medications, medical expenses, cost of living, and not living off the system… nevermind.
SOCIALISM – period…it isn’t the Federal Govt, State Govt, or Local Govts responsibility to provide housing for its residents. period. Grant or not.
This is an awesome story to hear! These are the things that make me proud to be an American. I, however, can’t quite understand WHY they would invest that amount of money into a mobile home??? Surely they could buy a new one for much cheaper than that. That would leave some leftover $$$ to help others in need!
Flomaton Resident, you are so right. Instead of building a bridge to no where, seek a grant to give help to the elderly and needy.
i agree with resident. why don’t they just spend the money on a brand new mobile home?
i just hope this is going to senior citizens not people that are able to work like i do!
Are you kidding me? Spending $28,000 to fix up a 1988 trailer that’s worth $12,000? $59,000 to fix up a house worth $22,000?
Somedays I just want to quit my job and signup for the handouts. I need a new roof, food stamps, a free cell phone and all that other stuff.
Yet the country is broke…..
There we go. Since when did it become the business of the government to fix up people’s private homes. How corrupt is our country.
Great Stuff. This is the way a Nation should spend it funds, helping its own that need help.
What a blessing for these families!
I am very happy for these residents of Century, It would be really nice if the town of Flomaton had a Mayor and Council members that cared enough about there residents and town to get a grant like this.. but I guess we don’t..Congratulations to the town of Century for having People who care about the residents and the town and not just them selves and there friends.