Baldwin Park : Home Repair Loans Eased

The Baldwin Park City Council has made it easier for needy homeowners living in affordable housing to get federal loans for essential home repairs.

The residential rehabilitation loan program, designed to help residents bring their housing up to code and keep it safe and sanitary, was underused because it was not well publicized and had not been updated in three years, said Ellen Volmert, assistant to the city manager.

Low- and moderate-income families, senior citizens, disabled, and single heads of household are eligible for the loans.

The City Council last week lowered interest rates on the loans, raised the maximum loan amount, included townhouse and condominium owners on the list of eligible applicants, and made other adjustments in the program to make it more “responsive to the residents’ needs,” Volmert said.

The program budget, which comes from federal Community Development Block Grants, was $290,000 for the 1992-93 fiscal year. The 1993-94 budget for the program is $300,000.