MUSKEGON, Mich. (WOOD) — A new grant could provide up to $10,000 to people in Muskegon County to make critical repairs to their homes.

A total of $1.5 million in funding will be awarded to low-income households through funding provided by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.

Stevie Parcel with the city of Muskegon Community and Neighborhood Services said the grant can be used for a variety of issues within 29 different areas.

“Fire hazards, pest control, excessive heat, excessive cold, trip hazards, accessibility needs,” Parcell said.

The city of Muskegon will run the program for homeowners throughout the county — just one of three counties selected in Michigan to receive funding.

“A lot of folks. They might want to buy a new, brand-new house and that’s wonderful and that’s great that we have that option here but there’s people who are in their homes and they want to stay in their homes and so we want to make sure that they are healthier environments for them,” Parcell said.

The city will handle organizing the assessment and paying contractors directly for any improvements that qualify.

“When we applied for this funding we wanted to make sure that it was the entire county because there’s a lot of our rural neighbors who need the assistance as well, not just the city,” Parcell said.

Priority will be given to households containing people with disabilities, seniors and young children.

“We’ve been flooded with applications,” Parcell said. “We’ll go into a home that income qualifies and is in Muskegon County. We’ll do a complete assessment and see what hazards are most pressing. Prioritize them and then we have up to $10,000 to address those hazards.”

The goal is to keep more people in their homes and the grant funding will need to be used on projects over the next three and half years. 

“There’s enough need in our community that we’ll be able to spend it all,” Parcell said.

If you’d like to apply, the application can be viewed on the city’s website.