A Housing Study, commissioned several years ago by the City of Berlin, indicated the majority of the community’s housing stock is in poor condition and in need of either rehabilitation or removal. Of particular concern were the houses on Glen Avenue, as it is the primary approach to the downtown area and to the Great North Woods Region of New Hampshire, where many first impressions are created. After the Study, Berlin then hosted a PLAN NH design charrette and as a result the City of Berlin and the Berlin Housing Authority forged an alliance to design a housing rehabilitation program for the Gateway to the City.
The City of Berlin applied for and received $191,500 in CDBG Housing funds on behalf of the Berlin Housing Authority to rehabilitate twelve housing units on Glen Avenue to benefit one hundred percent low and moderate income families.
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| The Glen Avenue rehab was a community partnership project. |
All units rehabilitated with CDBG funds meet HUD’s Section 8 Minimum Housing Quality Standards; the NH Life Safety Code; the NH Energy Code, and the City’s applicable building codes. The City provided matching funds in the amount of $200,000 for the replacement of the water lines that serve the project area.
CDBG Housing funds were essential for this project, as the homeowners themselves were unable to take on the cost of the renovations. Many are elderly, disabled, or their current incomes would not sustain the needed rehabilitation improvement expenses.
