Assistance available to eligible low- or moderate-income residents

Somerset County low- or moderate-income residents who need to make renovations to their homes may be eligible for assistance through the Somerset County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) Housing Rehabilitation Program.

The program is open to 19 of Somerset County’s municipalities.   Franklin Township and Far Hills are not eligible for the program. Also, owners of affordable- housing are not eligible, as they already have benefited from a program designed to make housing affordable.

“The CDBG Housing Rehabilitation program provides assistance to eligible homeowners who need to renovate or replace substandard heating, electrical or plumbing systems,” said Freeholder Deputy Director Patrick Scaglione, human services division liaison.

“Program funds also can be used to make structural repairs, alterations to correct code violations, improvements designed to reduce operating expenses and other repair work necessary for upgrading existing homes to standard condition. This year, the program has been expanded to include the connection of homes to municipal water or sewer systems as an eligible improvement.”

Block grant funds are used to provide up to $18,000 of rehabilitation assistance to homeowners who meet household-income criteria.   Funding for the program is provided by a grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).

For more information, prospective applicants should call Edward Eick of the Somerset County Community Development Office at (908) 541-5756 or email him at eick@co.somerset.nj.us.