Englewood Home Gets Makeover

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by Lesley R. Chinn

Paying to rehab her home would have cost a fortune for Englewood resident Gloria Greer, but thanks to a Tax Increment Fund (TIF) grant, she doesnt have to be burdened with those expensive costs.

Greer was selected recently to receive a TIF grant from the city. The TIF grant, which Greer applied for back in May, is administered through Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS). It would allow Greer and other recipients to perform exterior rehab work on their homes.

Applicants can receive TIF grants anywhere from $12,500 for a single family home and up to $22,500 for a four-unit property, according to NHS loan specialist Destiny Edmonds. For those with a two-flat property like Greer, grant recipients can receive up to $17,500 toward exterior rehab work.

I felt elated and it was so unbelievable because my name was the first to be pulled from a lottery. I was so happy, said Greer, who completed a two-page application and provided proof of property insurance, ownership, and household income as part of the requirements just to be selected for the TIF grant.

Had she not received this grant, Greer said it would have taken her a long time to fix up the outside of her home. I dont know when I could have done it myself, she stated. Greers home is a two-flat, brick property. Since shes lived at the property for the past four years, she already started fixing up her home from the inside and has spent a fortune doing so. It took me two years already to renovate the inside of my home and it took all [of] my funding, she stated.

However, with this grant, Greer wants to do some exterior work including tuck pointing; fixing the skyline on her roof, and installing new siding on her garage. Although she admires the outside of her home for its sturdiness, she said the TIF funds will help her make it prettier now.

In order to apply for the grant, applicants

must have paid all water bills and parking tickets and they must meet the necessary income qualifications. Applicants must also reside in the property at the time in which they are applying for the grant. For more information, residents can call 311 or their local alderman for details.

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