CUMBERLAND & PERRY COUNTY  

PA ACCESSIBLE HOUSING PROGRAM  

The Cumberland County Redevelopment Authority has applied for and received funding from the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development for the purpose of carrying out a home modification program that will make the homes of eligible county residents more accessible.  The objective of the program is to increase residents’ ability to function effectively in their current homes and to prevent and reduce the need for institutionalization.  The program applies to both eligible owners and eligible renters.  

Most any adaptive modification that improves the person’s ability to enter and exit the home or to perform daily living activities is eligible under the program.  Examples of modifications that are eligible are installation of ramps, widening of doorways, visual doorbells, audio phones, lowering kitchen counters, and bathroom changes to include grab bars.  These are only examples.  Other modifications not listed here are also eligible.  Work not directly related to making the home more accessible or more usable is not eligible.  

The maximum amount of grant funds available to each dwelling unit is $12,000.00.   Any costs in excess of that amount would be the responsibility of the property owner.  

To qualify for the program, an applicant must:  

• reside in Cumberland County or Perry County in the dwelling unit to be modified.
• be either the property owner, or the leaseholder of a rental unit, or a member of the owner’s or leaseholder’s household.
• have a permanent disability that limits access to and use of the dwelling unit.  A doctor’s statement or a Social Security Disability Determination must verify the disability.
• have total household income that does not exceeed either 80 percent of the Median Family Income (MFI) for Cumberland County or 235 percent of the national Poverty Limit, whichever is higher.  These income figures are adjusted each year.  The figures for 2008 are:

Modification grants will be made on the following order of priority:  

1. Households with children, which have a permanently disabled person threatened with institutionalization.
2. Households with children which have a permanently disabled person.
3. Individuals with a permanent disability who are threatened by institutionalization.

            NOTE:  Very low-income households (50% or less of MF) will have precedence over low/moderate-income households within the categories above.  

FOR MORE INFORMATION CONTACT:
JUDY SMITH AT THE CUMBERLAND COUNTY REDEVELOPMENT AUTHORITY  

717-249-0789                         717-697-7703             717-532-8805  

Fax:  717-249-4071