Application Opens for Landmark City-Wide Roof Program

Rosalyn Clemens and Martha Castro, homeowner of the initial house to be re-roofed

By Tricia Hall
The Truth Reporter

City of Toledo’s Department of Housing and Community Development (DHCD) announced the launch of a new roof application program for Toledo owner-occupied homes. The announcement was made on October 12, 2022 in the central city – south Toledo neighborhood.

“This is exciting partnership with the City of Toledo, the federal Government, and a number of community partners to help residents with roof repair or replacement. This doesn’t solve the whole problem but it is a step in the right direction and something worth celebrating,” said Toledo Mayor Wade Kapszukiewicz.

The three-year partnership between City of Toledo, Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur, Toledo Urban Federal Credit Union (TUFCU), Maumee Valley Habitat for Humanity (MVHFH), Lucas County Landbank, Premier Bank and Huntington Bank will focus on low-to-moderate income residents. Initial conversations were sparked by the 2021 survey conducted by the Lucas County Land Bank which cited roofs as a major concern in Toledo.

“The roofing issue has been a real problem across our country because they are so expensive and one of the programs under my jurisdiction is the weatherization program that I hope will be linked to this roofing program. I’m so happy to be here today, just goes to show that within a civil society that we can pass legislation, appropriate the monies that comes down from the federal government and know that it actually gets here. You should be proud of our community, proud of our country today, and proud of all the partners that make this possible including Roz Clemens. Roz, you’re a true gem to our community, you’ve done so much to understand what the federal government has and bring all of these assets home. Congratulations to all,” said Congresswoman Marcy Kaptur.

The roofing project, called Roof Tops Program, anticipates assisting 650 residents through partnerships between government funding, corporate products and nonprofit work. $2.6 million in American Rescue Plan Act funds, $300,000 from Community Development Block Grant funds with private bank partners will be utilized and the City’s DHCD will manage the project.

Housing Commissioner Tiffanie McNair explains the application process

“This is indeed a wonderful day for the Department of Housing and Community Development and also the city. I want to thank my team, who have worked on designing this for the past eight months. This is a true partnership with the federal government and our private sector partners here in the city. We know that over 5,000 owner-occupied homes need roofs, and you can’t just depend on federal dollars. We took a look at the need and funding that we had available to create this program to benefit low to moderate income residents. So that they have a fighting chance to have access to receive assistance to fix their roof,” explained Rosalyn Clemens, City of Toledo Department of Community Development Director.

The application for the Roof Tops program opens today. Interested applicants must complete an application to determine eligibility by November 11. On November 18, 300 individuals who meet the qualifications will be selected through a lottery system to receive roof repair or replacement. Individuals who were not selected but applied will receive a referral to either TUFCU, Premier Bank or Huntington Bank.

“For people not selected, we are working on handing them over to our financial partners the Toledo Urban Federal Credit Union, who will provide a matching grant loan product up to $50,000 for folks at or below 60 percent of the area medium income. When that money runs out come January 1 our other banking partners will step in, Premier Bank and Huntington Bank. They have committed together a $2 million dollar in a low-interest loan product that 80 percent of the households can receive funding to repair their roof. This is significant folks because we are leveraging public dollars and private sector dollars to maximize investments to address roofing in this city,” explained Clemens.

“We’re exciting to be a part of this program. We have a lot of need in our community,” shared Suzette Cowell, CEO TUFCU.

The majority of the applicants will be assisted by MVHFH, a local nonprofit that has collaborated with Owens Corning and DHCD for years to repair homes, renovate homes and replace roofs. The partnership has resulted in 366 roof replacements. Within the Roof Tops program, MVHFH will serve the families that are between 0-60 percent of the city’s medium income level.

“The campaign that Roz has put together for the housing program is great, and a great way to demonstrate that with local support from companies and nonprofits that we can make these dollars go even further and serve more families, which is what we always strive to do. The Roof Tops program gives us an opportunity to embrace the community and do some of these repairs and roof replacements that would be out of reach for most families that are lower in income but own their own homes,” shared Mike McIntyre, MVHFH Executive Director.

Access the application (https://toledo.oh.gov/residents/homeowners/rooftops-program).