The Housing Rehabilitation Program is administrated by the Town of Adams with funds provided through a grant from the Department of Housing and Community Development, Massachusetts Community Development Block Grant Program .

The Community Development Department's Housing Rehabilitation Program will provide assistance for low to moderate income homeowners and landlords whose tenants are of low to moderate income that are within the established income guidelines of the Town of Adams, Massachusetts. As an incentive for eligible property owners to invest money of their own into their property, the Community Development Department's Housing Rehabilitation Program will make funds available, that must be supplemented by the owners "share" of the total rehabilitation costs. The property owners "share" of the rehabilitation costs will be required to be used prior to the expenditure of the Grant Funds.

A. GOALS OF THE PROGRAM

• 1. To promote and support the Historic Preservation effort aimed at preserving the "character" of the neighborhood community.
• 2. To encourage the utilization of existing housing stock through rehabilitation rather than construction of new housing.
• 3. To provide incentives for homeowners and landlords to upgrade their homes/apartments to minimum living standards or better.
• 4. To provide safe and sanitary dwelling units through the elimination of code violations.
• 5. To stop blight and deterioration.
• 6. To protect and improve neighborhood environments.
• 7. To eliminate fire and safety hazards.

B. ELIGIBILITY REQUIREMENTS FOR GRANTS

• 1. All grant applicants can be either owner-occupants or absentee-owners in the Town of Adams.
• 2. Grants are awarded to owner-occupants with incomes within the income guidelines. Special consideration will be made for elderly and female households who have low incomes.
• 3. Grants are awarded to absentee-landlords renting apartments/houses to persons/families meeting the income guidelines.

• 4. Grants are issued to qualified absentee landlords with the stipulation that rental increases are limited for two years from project completion date. Both owner-occupants and investor-owners of rental property shall be required to sign an agreement to limit rent increases. Rental increases may be allowed for increases in utilities, if provided, taxes, insurance and inflation. Units must be made available to low to moderate income persons.
• 5. Grants are made for the purpose of eliminating code deficiencies and to create an incentive for property owners to invest money into their substandard property.
• 6. All code deficiencies will be determined by the Town of Adams Building Inspector, and the Town's Wire Inspector according to the Massachusetts Building Codes.
• 7. The property owner's share of the rehabilitation costs will be placed in an escrow account prior to the commencement of any work. The funds will be released to the contractor upon completion of the rehabilitation work. The release of funds will be by the property owner and the Housing Rehabilitation Program.
• 8. The Community Development Department's Grants Manager will negotiate the Grant Awards and the owner's "share" with the property owners, along with the rental values with the landlords.
• 9. The property owner's share of the rehabilitation cost must be used prior to the expenditure of MSCP funds.

C. ELIGIBLE ACTIVITIES Types of work which can be done through the Program include but are not limited to: roofing, foundation repair, storm windows, insulation, plumbing, electrical repair or replacement, septic, water supply, lead paint removal, exterior paint or siding, etc. Elimination of code violations must be addressed first and will be determined by the Town of Adams Building Inspector and the Rehabilitation Specialist.

D. HARDSHIP CONDITIONS When an eligible property owner has demonstrated to the Grants Manager an extreme financial hardship, the Grants Manager may go before the Community Development Department's Housing Rehabilitation Advisory Committee and request a waiver of the property owner's share requirement.

As an element of the rehabilitation program, it is anticipated that there may be emergency situations which arise, but do not require a full rehabilitation approach. A property may not contain major code violations, however, a boiler may blow up or there may be severe damage caused by a wind storm. Should such a situation occur, the Housing Rehabilitation Program can make a grant for 100% of the improvements not to exceed $5,000. Recapture of these funds will only be required should the owner sell the property within the six (6) year period from the time the grant was awarded.

E. REHABILITATION FUNDS SECURITY

• 1. Any and all commitments by the Community Development Department's Housing Rehabilitation Program to an eligible owner shall be made only pursuant to and in combination with the security of the owners share necessary to complete the work.

F. ADMINISTRATIVE GUIDELINES

• 1. The Community Development Department's Housing Rehabilitation Program will forward interested owners an application. The Grants Manager will meet with the applicant to discuss the program and to obtain the information necessary to process the application. After the income information has been verified and inspection of the property has been conducted, the applicant is informed whether the property is eligible for a grant and the maximum amount that can be granted.
• 2. The Rehabilitation Specialist will conduct an on-site preliminary inspection of the entire property. The Town's building inspector will cite all code violations based on Article II State Sanitary Code. The plumbing, gas and wire inspector will be available for any required inspections.
• 3. The Rehabilitation Specialist will provide the owner with a preliminary work write-up which will include all code violations, and any applicable drawings, and floor plans. The work write-up is detailed and itemized. A historical review will be conducted by the Historical Commission for their requirements and an Environmental Review will be conducted for each unit. Where a residence falls within a flood plain the Rehab. Specialist will made a determination if any Flood Plain Insurance is required.
• 4. A final work write-up will be prepared into bid packages. The owner will approve the final bid package before going out to bid. All participating contractors who are on the Contractors List receive bid packages. All contractors are notified of an "Open House" in order to expedite contractors into and out of the house. Sealed bids will be delivered to the Community Development Office. The bids will be reviewed by the Community Development Department's Housing Rehabilitation Program. The Grants Manager submits the three lowest bids to the owner where they will have no more than 30 days in which to make an award, reject, or rebid. The owner selects the contractor and, if the lowest qualified bid is not used, the owner pays the difference between that bid and the awarded bid. The contractor selected signs a construction agreement with the homeowner for the work to be done and the cost involved.
• 5. The Community Development Office will procure and oversee the construction services. A pre-construction conference with the Rehab. Specialist will be held with all the contractors involved with the project. All construction contracts will comply with State and Federal Regulations
• 6. The owner will be responsible for securing a building permit for work to be done from the Town of Adams.
• 7. Work to be started within fifteen (15) calendar days of selection of contractor. All compliance with local and state codes is MANDATORY. The Grants Manager, Rehab Specialist, and/or the Town Building Inspector will assist in the inspection of work, but assumes no responsibility for quality of material or workmanship. Once construction begins the Rehab. Specialist oversees the construction, conducts site visits, makes progress reports, as well as approve payments.
• 8. When the work is complete to the satisfaction of the property owners and the Housing Rehabilitation Program, the Town of Adams will issue a check payable to the property owner and the contractors. The property owner will then endorse the check, which will then be sent to the contractor. The owners will be required to sign-off on all financial transactions that take place, rent any vacant apartments to eligible income families as required and execute rental agreements.
• 9. When the project is completed the homeowners will be provided with a copy of the MSCP Contractors Affidavit for Payment of Debts, Release of Claims, Warranty of Workmanship and Receipt of Payments.

G. OWNER PROVIDED LABOR

• 1. When expressly approved by the Housing Rehabilitation Program, owners may provide labor. The Housing Rehabilitation Program shall determine whether or not the owner possesses the qualifications and/or experience to perform work included in the specifications.
• 2. The Community Development Department's Housing Rehabilitation Program may require the owner to provide a profile of qualifications or other such evidence of the owners ability to perform rehabilitation activities.
• 3. The value of this labor will be negotiated by the owner and the Housing Rehabilitation Program on an individual basis and applied to the total rehabilitation cost.

This program is subject to the requirements of (and not necessarily limited to) Section 3 of the Housing and Urban Development Act of 1968, as amended, 12 USC 170170 lu; Executive Order 11246, Entitled "Equal Employment Opportunity" (41 CFR, Part 60); the Flood Disaster Protection Act of 1973 (P.L. 93-234); Title VI of the Civil Rights Act of 1964 (P.L. 88-352); HUD Lead-Based Paint Regulations 24 CFR, Part 35, For the Elimination of Lead Based Paint Hazards; Copeland "Anti-Kick Back" Act (18 USC 874); Section 114 of the Clean Air Act, as amended, (42 U.S.C. 1857 C-8); Section 308 of the Federal Water Pollution Control Act, as amended (33 U.S.C. 1318) and the Federal Labor Standards under 29 CFR, Parts 3, 5, and 5A.