COI Receives $90,000 Weatherization Grant

An Apartment complex in Jamestown will become more energy efficient through a $90,000 Federal Weatherization Grant.

The Priscilla apartments on E. 5th Street will receive new attic insulation, heaters, and modernized refrigerators as part of a $2 million federal government grant program to equip public housing complexes with more efficient heating.

The grants were divided by the state Division of Housing and Community Renewal and are planned for public housing with immediate heating needs.

COI Grant Writer Douglas Fricke said, "This is money the state had set aside for projects that might not have gotten done in a normal production time."

In addiction to the grant money, the building owner will contribute more than $30, 000 as part of a matching grant for work that is slated to start in the near future.

Priscilla Place Apartments on East Fifth Street in the city of Jamestown

COI Receives Out-Of-State Funds to Help Local Residents Become Homeowners

Chautauqua Opportunities, Inc. has received a $150,000 grant from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Cincinnati grant that will help low-income families become homeowners.

The new funding source will be used for the Chautauqua Opportunities for Homes program. This program will provide a direct subsidy to 20 families in Chautauqua County who are at or below 50% of the area median income to assist them in becoming homeowners.

This project addresses the problems of declining rates of homeownership in Chautauqua County resulting from the economic decline of the past two decades. The program will target low-income families with the need for single family homes.

The subsidies will provide funds for down payment assistance and closing costs. Permanent financing will be provided through Key Bank USA.

The Chautauqua Opportunities for Homes Program with COI will prepare families for homeownership through its HUD Housing Counseling Program. COI's Homeownership staff provides a monthly orientation class for prospective home buyers, which provides them with the information and referrals needed to help them locate a home. COI has experienced a significant increase in the demand for its down-payment/closing cost assistance in the past year.

Currently the agency is working with 30 families who are waiting to purchase homes.