County commissioners approved the administration of a Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) by Hobbs, Upchurch & Associates, P.A. at the regular meeting June 2.

The grant is for $400,000. The money, while distributed through the state, comes from federal funds.

"Typically we mostly do renovations," grant administrator Michael Walser said.

The grant began with an open bidding process for administration, followed by a public period of solicitation for applications. All of the slots have been filled.

The grant is designed for low to moderate income, owner-occupied homes, typically the elderly or disabled, he said.

We "typically do about eight renovations and eight emergency repairs" per grant, Walser said. A renovation ensures that a home is completely up to state standards while an emergency repair will address one issue, like a leaking roof.

The grant will take several years to run its course. Three to six months will be necessary for the state to get the funding to the firm and a similar period will pass before work begins on any homes.

"It takes a couple years to get all of the houses," he said.

The Community Development Block Grant is a program under the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development and began in 1974.

"The CDBG program works to ensure decent affordable housing, to provide services to the most vulnerable in our communities, and to create jobs through the expansion and retention of businesses," the HUD's Web page said. "HUD determines the amount of each grant by using a formula comprised of several measures of community need, including the extent of poverty, population, housing overcrowding, age of housing, and population growth lag in relationship to other metropolitan areas."