FAQs • Denton, TX • CivicEngage

Will a lien be placed against my property?: No. The assistance is a grant.

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Homeowner Repair Assistance

1. What type of repairs are eligible?

Repairs and/or modifications to achieve accessibility that are needed to make the housing safe, sanitary or habitable are eligible for assistance. Community Development staff will inspect the unit to determine if requested repair is eligible. Eligible Repairs:

Repairs necessary to protect the health and safety of the household include repair and/or replacement of failed plumbing fixtures, clogged/broken sewer lines, damaged or exposed electrical wiring, switches, outlets, leaking roofs, etc.
Repairs and/or modifications may be made to a structure as necessary to allow accessibility to accommodate a disability when other means are not available to allow accessibility; i.e. building a wheelchair ramp, widening doorways to rooms that must be accessible for living, etc.

When a repair is covered by an insurance policy and only a portion of the cost to repair is covered, the owner must sign over insurance claim payment(s) to the City of Denton before work may begin. Owner insurance funds will be deposited into an escrow account and will be expended first when contractor payments are approved. If owner has already spent insurance funds on repairs, owner must provide proof of payment and detailed documentation of work completed before a decision can be made if the repair is eligible for funding.

2. What type of repairs are not eligible?

Ineligible Repairs

Repairs that are only cosmetic in nature.
Perils covered by insurance claims.
Repairs to a duplicate item when one is working may not be eligible except to prevent additional deterioration. For example, in a house with two bathrooms where one has a working toilet and the other has a leaking toilet; if the leak can be stopped by closing the water cutoff to the toilet, no repair is allowed since a working toilet is available.

Unsafe and substandard structures that cannot be made safe for habitation with the maximum allowed or less will not be eligible for assistance. The owner will receive a letter notifying of the hazards and why assistance is being denied. Under such circumstances, Community Development Division will recommend a household seek safe housing as soon as possible.

Maximum Funding Per Application for Owner‐Occupied Single‐Family Structures

Up to $24,500 per application may be available for approved, eligible repairs. Repair(s) costing more than $24,500 are not eligible. Once completed, no additional assistance may be requested before one full year (12 consecutive months) has passed.
Homes built before 1978 are subject to Lead-Based Paint rules and regulations.
Once completed, no additional assistance may be requested before one full year (12 consecutive months) has passed.

Once the approved repairs are completed and the contractor(s) receives payment, no additional repairs can be requested or approved.

3. Will the repairs need to be paid back?: No, assistance does not need to be paid back. It is a grant and no lien will be placed on the property.

4. What are the income eligibility requirements?

The income table as established by HUD is available in Attachment 1 of the Homeowner Repair Guidelines and is copied below. The effective dates and limits in Attachment 1 remain in effect until HUD issues new limits.

INCOME ELIGIBILITY FOR THE MINOR REPAIR PROGRAM - Effective date: 10/01/2022
Family Size	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Maximum Income	$54,550	$62,350	$70,150	$77,900	$84,150	$90,400	$96,600	$102,850

5. How do I apply?: Applications can be completed via paper application or online via Neighborly. Submit required documentation.

6. What happens after I apply?

Community Development Division staff will complete an inspection to determine if project is eligible. If eligible, you will receive information and forms to apply.
Community Development Division staff will verify all the application information and environmental restrictions and regulations. Application and repair request will be submitted for review to the Community Development Administrator. If any information is found to be intentionally falsified, the application will be rejected and the applicant will not be allowed to reapply to this program.
You will receive verbal and/or written notice of the date application is accepted or rejected along with details of the decision if application is rejected.
In the event your house is 45 years old or older, the Texas Historical Commission may have to be notified.
When painted surfaces will be affected in a house built before 1978, the area will be tested for lead based paint. A lead based paint inspection and/or risk assessment shall be conducted by a licensed risk assessor. If your house is found to have lead‐based paint hazards, hazard reduction techniques will be utilized.
A bid document will be written up for the repairs needed to correct the health or safety‐related problem. A cost estimate will be completed before bids are sought. Only contractors who carry a minimum of $100,000 liability insurance may perform the work. This program maintains a list of contractors who meet the insurance requirements. This is not a reference list. Any interested contractor who can document appropriate insurance coverage and is not on the most recent list of contractors that are ineligible to work on projects involving federal funds.
The contractor/repair company will provide a one‐year warranty for work completed, if possible.
Upon final inspection approval, contractor may submit invoice. The payment request will be processed upon project approval and contractor can expect payment within 15 working days from date invoice was approved.

If the bid for the approved emergency repair is more than the maximum allowable funds, the project will not be eligible and the City of Denton will be unable to complete the repair.

7. What are other provisions?

In the event that an applicant feels that his/her circumstances require special consideration, s/he may request, in writing, a waiver from the usual requirements. All requests should specify the requirement(s) to be considered for waiver and state the applicant's reason(s) or special circumstances why s/he believes a waiver should be approved. The Community Development Administrator will review requests on a case‐by‐case basis. Applicant will be notified in writing of the final decision.

Dispute: The contractor's work will be monitored by the applicant, City staff that may include Community Development staff or/and the City of Denton building code inspector. If the applicant considers any work done by the contractor to be unsatisfactory or incomplete, the applicant should advise the contractor of the discrepancy and ask that it be corrected. In the event a dispute exists between the applicant and the contractor with respect to the work, the City shall take appropriate action in accordance with the provisions of the construction contract to assure that the applicant is satisfied before making any payment to the contractor. In the event a dispute cannot be resolved, the Division Director shall consider all pertinent facts and shall decide an appropriate course of action to resolve the dispute.

8. Do I need good credit?: No.

9. I still have a mortgage payment, can I qualify for the program?: Yes.

10. What are the steps to receive assistance?

Complete the application process. You will receive notice of assistance approval or denial. If assistance is denied, you will receive an explanation of the reasons for denial.
Property will be inspected to determine eligibility.
If property is eligible work write-up or plans will be completed.
Owner will review and approve work write up or plans.
Project is sent out to bid. Lowest eligible bid is awarded the job.
Work is completed as is a walk-through the house with staff.
The contractor provides a one-year warranty for work completed. After this period, it is the responsibility of homeowner to complete all repairs.

11. What kind of help should I receive if my application is approved?

Repairs necessary to protect the health and safety of the household include repair and/or replacement of failed plumbing fixtures, clogged/broken sewer lines, damaged or exposed electrical wiring, switches, outlets, leaking roofs, etc.
Repairs and/or modifications may be made to a structure as necessary to allow accessibility to accommodate a disability when other means are not available to allow accessibility; i.e. building a wheelchair ramp, widening doorways to rooms that must be accessible for living, etc.