Emergency Repair Program to be Available to COVID-19 Impacted Homeowners in Palm Beach County

Online applications to be accepted starting Sept. 6

The Palm Beach County Board of County Commissioners approved the Coronavirus Relief Fund (CRF) program on Aug. 25 to establish the Emergency Repair Program to assist eligible homeowners whose households demonstrate a direct impact due to COVID-19.

The Florida Housing Finance Corporation notified the county of the award of $3.7 million assist Floridians impacted by the COVID-19 crisis. The state’s deadline to expend the CRF funds is Dec. 30, 2020.

The Emergency Repair Program will be awarded as a grant and can only be used to address emergency conditions such as the installation, replacement or repair of roofs, hurricane shutters and heating, ventilation and air conditioning.

All requests for assistance will be reviewed and underwritten based on approved criteria. Criteria include (but is not limited to) the following:

–        income eligibility 

–        residence must be owner-occupied 

–        eligible repairs must be identified and not exceed the $50,000 maximum assistance limit

–        the property must be located in Palm Beach County

To ensure the home can be assisted, the owner’s municipality must commit to providing expedited permitting.

All applications must be submitted online and will be processed on a first-come, first-eligible basis. The online application is expected to launch on Sunday, Sept. 6 at 8AM and can be accessed at the Department of Housing and Economic Sustainability’s website: pbcgov.com/hes.