Grant program helps those in Lee’s Summit meet urgent housing needs

Updating the bathrooms every 20 years or so might seem reasonable to most people. It’s a tall order when you are the Lee’s Summit Housing Authority — responsible for 116 government housing units in the city and funded through increasingly tight federal budgets.

But a program — Community Development Block Grant Program — has helped fix the problem for the housing authority. Organizations offering similar housing services are urged to apply.

Duncan Estates, built in 1996, is home to many seniors and disabled residents on low to moderate incomes. Many people have lived there since it opened. Erik Berg, executive director of the Lee’s Summit Housing Authority, said while the housing authority has money in the budget to do basic maintenance and upkeep these facilities, large renovations are often out of reach.

Most of the bathrooms at Duncan Estates had never received a major renovation.

“They were maintained, but after close to 30 years, things just naturally start to wear out,” Berg said

Now, dozens of Duncan estates residents are enjoying bathroom updates, and more are coming thanks to two large grants totaling more than $300,000 provided by the Community Development Block Grant Program.

The program is made possible through funds provided to Lee’s Summit through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. This money is designated to help low- to moderate-income individuals and families address blight and meet urgent housing needs in the city.

While the numbers change slightly every year, Lee’s Summit currently receives about $375,000 a year. The grant to the Lee’s Summit Housing Authority for bathroom updates was split into two grant years with about $150,000 in 2018-2019 and $160,000 in 2019-2020.

The city is designated as an entitlement community, and has been since 1994. Each year, the city takes applications and puts together a plan of grants to meet the most urgent housing needs in the city.

Sarah Tilbury, who helps administer the money for the city, says Lee’s Summit currently funds eight programs with the funds to help address priorities identified through the city’s five-year consolidated plan. One of the programs addresses minor home repairs on exteriors.

Last year, about a dozen homeowners were able to take advantage of the money, in the form of grants of up to $10,000, to improve their home exteriors.

“Most own their own homes,” Tilbury said “There are just certain repairs they can’t get done without this funding, like windows, roofs or siding.”

At the Lee’s Summit Housing Authority, Berg says the grants help their organization stretch federal dollars further. The group was able to complete rehabs on 32 bathrooms in 2019. The grant from the same fund in 2020 will allow the housing authority to complete the rest of the Duncan Estates bathrooms.

“When you go through and tell people they were going to be able to get new flooring and shower stalls .... the looks of appreciation on those folks’ faces when everything was done. That’s priceless,” Berg said.

Other entities receiving funding in Lee’s Summit include ReDiscover, Hillcrest Transitional Housing and Hope House. The Lee’s Summit Housing Authority will continue to apply for the Community Development Block Grant Program funds for larger projects.

Applications are now open for 2020-2021 funding. Applicants must be a public agency, non-profit organization or community-based development organization benefiting low to moderate income persons, addressing an urgent community housing need or eliminating blight within the city.

Contractors, developers, owners and individuals are not allowed to apply. Application forms are currently available at cityofLS.net and will be accepted until Feb. 7.

This story was originally published January 15, 2020 at 12:00 AM.