Help is here for Dallas residents whose homes sustained damage from the recent winter storm.
The city’s new Emergency Home Repair Program was approved by the Dallas City Council last week and affected residents can now apply.
The program will grant eligible low-income Dallas residents up to $10,000 per household for home repairs associated with the winter storm. Total funding available that the city can distribute is $2 million.
According to the city, applicants must have experienced damage to their homes since Feb. 11, be homeowners within the City of Dallas, and earn at or below 80 percent of the area median income, which is about $60,000 for a household of four.
- Eligible repairs under the Emergency Home Repair Program:
- Wall/Floor removal
- Sewer lines
- Gas lines
- Water lines and/or water damage
- Roof
- Electrical system
- HVAC units
- Plumbing fixtures, including sink pipes and toilets damaged by the frozen condition
- Mold remediation
All 254 Texas counties experienced damage from the storm and it is expected to be the costliest disaster in state history, according to the Independent Insurance Agents of Texas.
David Noguera, the city’s director of Housing and Neighborhood Revitalization, said in a statement that the city is committed to finding resources to meet the needs of low- to moderate-income homeowners.
“This program is crucial to families who may not have the means to repair or restore their homes after sustaining damage from the 2021 Winter Storm,” Noguera said.
KERA: How to Apply for the Emergency Home Repair Program
Councilmember Tennell Atkins told KERA that the program is welcome news, but she fears that some residents without internet might not hear of the program.
“My concern is that it is going to be very difficult to share this with equity,” Atkins said.
According to a city news release, residents who qualify for the program have two options for assistance — the rebate program or the nonprofit program. Under the rebate program, Dallas residents who paid a licensed contractor to repair damages to their homes are eligible for reimbursement up to $10,000.
To learn more about the rebate program, call the Dallas Department of
Housing & Neighborhood Revitalization at 214-670-3644 or email [email protected]. For a list of nonprofits partnering with the city, click here.
