SENDD offers programs to provide new housing
and renew well-loved homes.
Before
After
Owner Occupied Rehabilitation is one way to breathe new life into an older home.
SENDD provides technical assistance to member communities to address a variety of affordable housing needs, including housing market studies, housing rehabilitation programs, and downpayment assistance programs, among others. The SENDD staff provide project and grant development assistance, guidance in budgeting, and overall management of affordable housing programs.
The SENDD housing division is comprised of a team of management and specialists who are professionals in the housing industry with over 20 years of experience in grant administration and construction management. Our experienced team members assist communities in obtaining State, Federal, and several other types of available funding opportunities to help create and maintain safe, decent, and affordable housing options for community residents. We also provide grant writing and program management services. In addition, SENDD housing staff have been working to expand their expertise to address additional needs within our 14-county service area. A recent example includes staff becoming certified building inspectors through the International Code Council (ICC). This official certification allows SENDD to offer building inspection programs acting as an extension of community staff serving as the local building and safety representative. Several communities have contacted SENDD for management services in the area due to the lack of qualified local resources.
Member communities partner with SENDD to develop and implement affordable housing projects. SENDD is currently assisting several communities with programs for Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation, Purchase/Rehab/Resale, and downpayment assistance. Housing market studies are a key component in the development of these and other types of affordable housing programs. Several housing studies from across the SENDD region are listed below, and many have been utilized by the organization to write affordable housing program grants, while others have been created with contributions from the organization itself.
Current Projects
Housing Rehabilitation
One of SENDD’s major efforts to improve region-wide housing involves Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation (OOR). SENDD assists member communities and counties to apply for funding through the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF) to implement community-wide/or regional housing rehabilitation programs. SENDD also helps communities apply for Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) housing rehabilitation programs. These two sources may provide funding to income-qualified families who own and occupy their own homes. All repairs completed through the NAHTF or CDBG programs will bring homes up to Housing and Urban Development (HUD) standards.
Income qualifications for those seeking CDBG funds must have a total household income at or below 80% of the area Median Family Income (MFI). Funds for the NAHTF rehabilitation program can be awarded to those who are at or below 100% if the area MFI for the county in which the program is being implemented. This eligibility is based off family size.
The goals of the OOR programs are to increase the attractiveness of the communities, prevent the spread of blight, increase the number of habitable dwelling units, promote continued homeownership, discourage abandonment or neglect of homes, and provide assistance to persons of greatest need. Financing is typically available as a Conditional Grant, Deferred Loan, or 0% Interest Loan, depending on family size and total household income.
Eligible repairs may include, but are not limited to, structural repairs to foundations and roofs, upgrading HVAC systems, replacing or repairing water heating systems, repairing wiring and plumbing, the weatherization of windows, doors, attics, and walls, as well as making homes more accessible and relieving overcrowding. Items not usually eligible for funding include garages, outbuildings, patios and landscaping projects, and hot tubs and spas.
SENDD is currently assisting the following Nebraska communities to implement owner-occupied housing rehabilitation programs: Auburn, Wymore, Geneva, Hubbell, Falls City, Steinauer, Pawnee City, Fairmont, Deshler, Fairbury
Limited funding available: Hebron, Tecumseh, York
Purchase, Rehab, Resale (PRR)
Southeast Nebraska Development District (SENDD) has developed the Purchase/Rehab/Resell (P/R/R) program in order to upgrade the quality of existing housing stock within the region and to provide assistance to income qualified applicants for the purchase of safe, decent, and affordable housing. This program will assist persons/families of need, improve the availability of quality housing, and promote homeownership within the region. Under the P/R/R program, eligible persons/families will identify a housing unit they would like to purchase or select from the existing housing stock currently owned by the program. The program will also allow for the purchase of a speculative property that is in need of rehabilitation in order to bring it in line with local standards for existing housing quality. The program will purchase the unit, perform the necessary rehabilitation, and resell the unit to the applicant with the opportunity of utilizing available Homebuyer Assistance funding. Homebuyer Assistance utilizing CDBG funds can be as much as 50% of the required 20% down payment to help the applicant avoid Primary Mortgage Insurance (PMI). This assistance takes the form of a deferred, no-interest loan on the property that is due on sale, transfer of title or no longer occupying the property as a primary residence.
SENDD is currently assisting the following Nebraska communities to implement PRR programs: York, Nebraska City
DOWNPAYMENT ASSISTANCE
SENDD assists member communities and counties to apply for funding through the Nebraska Affordable Housing Trust Fund (NAHTF) to implement a Homeownership Program (also known as Downpayment Assistance programs). Downpayment Assistance is available to income qualified applicants purchasing existing home in communities/counties that have available funding for this activity.
Each program has a separate set of program guidelines developed by the community and/or county that is the recipient of grant funds for these programs. Typically, guidelines for assistance include:
1. Maximum Downpayment Subsidy = Up to 20% of the total project cost, not to exceed $17,000.
2. Required Buyer Downpayment = 2% of the purchase price as a minimum. This can be accounted for in closing costs and verified by a completed HUD -1 form. Cash assets in excess of $5,000 may be required to be applied to closing costs and the downpayment.
3. Other Property Requirements = The home to be purchased cannot be located in a 100-year flood zone. The home to be purchased must be located within an area zoned as “residential” or “agricultural.” If within the county, the acreage on which the home is located must meet zoning regulations and be a maximum of 3 acres. The home to be purchased must pass a Housing Quality Standards (HQS) inspection prior to closing. The home to be purchased must pass a “Lead Paint Hazard Screening” prior to purchase, especially if the home was constructed prior to 1979. Additionally, the home must be the primary residence of the new owner(s).
4. Applicant Income Qualification: Applicant eligibility is based on income limits and family size as pre-determined by HUD for each county.
5. Primary/Lead Lender: The applicant is required to have a primary/lead lender finance the remaining balance of the home purchase, as the HOP assistance will be a “deferred conditional loan,” as a second mortgage. Therefore, the applicant must apply and secure financing from a financial institution of their choosing. Land contracts will not be considered. Program staff my assist clients in locating non-standard financing.
SENDD is currently assisting the following Nebraska communities to implement DPA programs:
Fillmore County Development Corporation
Seward County Housing Corporation
Thayer County Economic Development Alliance
York Housing Development Corporation
Housing Resources
RURAL WORKFORCE HOUSING
Through a professional staffing agreement, SENDD performs administrative services for SEND Inc. to distribute Rural Workforce Housing Funds (RWHF) in five communities within their service area. The RWHF program was allocated grant funding by the State of Nebraska to address the state’s lack of affordable rural housing. This fund provides matching grants to non-profit development organizations to reduce the cost of housing for Nebraska’s rural workforce for approximately $1.6 million available for loans. The RWHF helps meet the needs of working families and attracts new residents to rural communities.
There are several types of eligible activities that will be utilized during the initial investment of RWHF resources within current investor communities listed above. These eligible activities include:
1. New construction of owner-occupied or rental housing in a community with demonstrated workforce housing needs.
2. Substantial repair or rehabilitation of dilapidated housing stock, for which the cost to rehabilitate exceeds fifty percent (50%) of the unit’s assessed value.
3. Upper story housing development.
4. Rehabilitation that includes the conversion of an existing building into housing.
5. Down Payment Assistance (funded with local resources as appropriate).
For owner-occupied housing units, costs cannot exceed $350,000 per unit; rental unit costs cannot exceed $250,000 per unit. These limits for owner occupied and rental units include land and infrastructure costs.
Five initial housing projects will be completed with RWHF funds in the five investor communities of Auburn, Beatrice, Deshler, Fairbury, and Geneva, all of which are within SEND Inc.’s 15-county service area. An additional initial project located within the region may be completed as well, contingent upon funding. SEND Inc.’s 15-county region includes: Butler, Polk, Saunders, York, Seward, Otoe, Fillmore, Saline, Gage, Johnson, Nemaha, Thayer, Jefferson, Pawnee, and Richardson counties.
Click here to access the Rural Workforce Housing Fund Developer Loan Application.
Program guidelines for the five initial RWFH projects are available upon request. Please contact a SENDD Housing Program Specialist using the form below.