Development
Department

Housing Programs & Applications

To obtain the most current information about the City of Sandusky's Homebuyer's Assistance, Emergency Home Repair or the Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation programs, please send us an email request.

Rental Rehabilitation Application

Homebuyers Assistance Program

The Sandusky Homebuyer Assistance Program provides one of the best mortgage financing packages available to qualified homebuyers who are making the move to home ownership.

Assistance, which comes in the form of a 0% interest deferred payment second mortgage, is used to assist with both down payment and closing costs. 

Eligibility: 

-  Homebuyer(s) must use the property as principal residence.
-  Homebuyer(s) must meet credit standards of the City of Sandusky and
   the participating lender
-  Homebuyer (s) must participate in pre-purchase counseling program
    provided by the City or lender.
-  The home being purchased must be located within the corporate limits of
   the City of Sandusky.
-  Homebuyer(s) are responsible for recording fee of $36.00

Eligible Properties:

-  Must be single-family or condominium properties within the City of
   Sandusky.
-  Must meet HUD criteria of decent, safe and sanitary at time of
   occupancy.

Emergency Home Repair

This program will begin annually on October 1st.  Applications will be accepted until funding has been depleted.  Applications will be available in the Department of Community Development beginning October 1st or by calling 419.627.5703 to schedule an inspection.

The Emergency Home Repair program will provide home repair assistance in the form of a grant to qualified single-family owner-occupied housing units.  This program is not intended to be a "mini-rehab" program, but rather to correct a problem that poses an immediate threat to the health and safety of the household occupants.  For example, replacing a furnace where there is no heat.

The following are examples if items that are eligible for repair and/or replacement:

Structural system repairs and replacements
mechanical system repairs and replacements
plumbing system tap-ins
Accessibility improvements

The following are examples of items that are not eligible for repair and/or replacement:

Painting, paneling or carpeting
air conditioning
garage repairs or improvements
landscape plantings

Roof replacement is usually not considered an emergency but will be reviewed on a case-by-case basis.

In order to receive assistance under this activity, an applicant household must meet all of the following criteria:

Be an owner occupant of a single-family dwelling unit in the city of Sandusky
Applicant has not received assistance through any city housing rehab program within the last five years.
Applicant may not have assets of more than $10,000
Reside in a dwelling unit which has existing defects creating a threat to the health and safety of household occupants.
Maintain the housing unit as a principal residence
Total household income must be below the 2005 Household Income Guidelines (see chart below).

EMERGENCY HOME REPAIR PROGRAM

Household Size                               Maximum Household Income

Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program

The City of Sandusky's Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation program provides partially deferred loans to qualified homeowners for bringing their homes up to the standards of the Local Building Code or Residential Rehabilitation Standards (RRS).  The purpose of the program is to preserve the existing homes in the City of Sandusky, and to encourage everyone to maintain their property.  Partially deferred loans will be offered to property owners who qualify to rehabilitate their home to provide decent, safe and sanitary living quarters for their families.

Eligibility:

You are eligible for these loans only if:

1) You live within the City of Sandusky and meet the other guidelines of the program;

2) If you are the owner and are living in the address of the singlf-family dwelling to be rehabilitated.

3) If your annual income does not exceed the following limits based upon your family size:

Household Size                               Maximum Household Income

The Rental Rehabilitation Program provides financing for the rehabilitation of rental properties.  The City of Sandusky may lend up to 65% of the cost of the rehabilitation but not to exceed $14,999 for a one-unit project. The owner must provide, at a minimum, the other 35% of the necessary rehabilitation funds.  The minimum investment per unit is $5,000.

Terms of the loan:  The Rental Rehabilitation loan is a 0% interest deferred-declining loan.  Twenty percent of the loan amount is due upon transfer of the property.  The remaining 80% will decline 20% per year over the five years.

The applicant must comply with the terms of the Note, Mortgage and Loan Agreement in order to qualify for the no interest loan.

The Rental Rehab funds are a reimbursement.

Example: A one-uit rehab is bid out for $20,000.  The landlord must up front their 35% of the cost ($7,000) to the city.  The city will make payment to the contractor when the work has been completed.

For more information on these programs, contact Community Development at 419.627.5872.