Garden Grove

Improvement Loan Report: A city program that provides home-improvement loans at interest rates of 4% to 9% to qualifying residents has generated about $4 million in home improvements since it began in 1977, city officials said. Garden Grove uses federal funds combined with bank loans to achieve the low rates, which vary according to household income, senior urban planner Juan Arroyo said. For example, a family of four with a combined income of less than $20,000 could qualify for the lowest rate. Priority is given to elderly and handicapped applicants. And major repairs, such as roofs, plumbing or electrical work, take precedence over cosmetic repairs such as painting, Arroyo said.