Waterbury residents can get $30K to renovate their home — Here’s how to apply

Braley Dodson and Tim Harfmann

2 months ago

WATERBURY, Conn. (WTNH) — Homeowners in Waterbury may be able to receive up to $30,000 to pay for home renovations under a new city program.

The Waterbury HOME Improvement Program will provide low-income residents will loans to fund “essential improvements” to single-family, single-unit homes, according to an an announcement on Tuesday. Applications will be accepted starting Friday.

The program will help the homeowners receive a five-year, forgivable loan of up to $30,000. 

Waterbury Mayor Paul Pernerewski says the city is using $300,000 of federal money to help about 10 homeowners.

“We have so many folks who are low income and especially so many elderly people are on fixed incomes, who have been in their homes for a long time,” Pernerewski said. “These kinds of repairs are necessary, and this is an opportunity for them to be able to do what they might not otherwise be able to do.”

Those renovations can include replacing or repairing a roof.

Karla Wiltshire says her Waterbury home needs a lot of work, from the rickety storm windows dating back decades to her garage and basement, where she says the foundation is leaking after a recent storm.

“There was like two inches of water when I woke up in the morning and that never happened,” Wiltshire said. “Then this morning when I got up, I could see more [water] from the rain leaking under.”

The 54-year-old says she’s lived in her home for 11 years and made some repairs, but she’s on disability and a fixed income.

“I try to keep my house up the best I can, but things are expensive,” Wiltshire said. “It’s even more expensive now with inflation and everything. So, I figured let me give it a try [to apply].”

The application officially opens on Jan. 25 and applicants must meet certain criteria to enter. Eligible homeowners will enter a lottery. 

Pernerewski says the program benefits homeowners and revitalizes housing in the Brass City.

“What we don’t need is to have more housing become uninhabitable or dilapidated,” Pernerewski said. “We need to start working on fixing up the housing that we have, but this is an opportunity to forestall that and keep it from happening into the future.” 

Wiltshire hopes she’s chosen. 

“Being able not to go out and make money anymore because I’m disabled, getting that money would help me a great deal,” she said.

Leaders say applicants will receive a notification regardless if they qualify or not. 

The deadline to apply is 4:30 p.m. on April 8. Applications are available online.

Recipients will be chosen via a lottery that will be held on April 16. About $300,000 has been allocated to the program.