The Knox City Council approved a 10 percent match to attempt to get a grant to rid the city of some unsafe homes.
It’s part of the Blight Elimination Program which would assist the city in purchasing homes that are listed as unsafe and blighted and demolish them. The majority of the homes that would be considered for this grant are in the Parkview Heights area.
Knox Mayor Rick Chambers said 12 homes have been identified that would fit the criteria for a $180,000 grant available through the Blight Elimination Program. The city is working with Anne Mannix of Neighborhood Development Associates to submit an application for this grant on behalf of the city and the application is due soon.
The homeowners will need to agree to be part of this program. This is not a condemnation process and residents will not be evicted from their homes.
Lead tests will be performed on some of the homes as part of the process.
The homes on the list for need to meet certain points to qualify to be part of the requirements of the grant. If the homes don’t qualify, then the grant amount will be less to cover the homes that do qualify.
The council members approved a 10 percent grant match of $18,000 for a grant up to $180,000. A commitment letter will also be signed to move forward with the application process. The money will come from the EDIT fund.
