A program provided by Community Action Development Bethlehem (CADB) aims to support homeowners in maintaining their building’s exteriors. For low-income residents, it may be difficult to find funds to repair the facade of their homes and to ensure the safety of their residences. CADB’s Residential Façade Program offers residents in targeted neighborhoods the resources to address needed repairs. Previously, projects were limited to select south side neighborhoods, but projects near Friendship Park on the north side are an area of focus for CADB currently as well.
According to Anna Smith, CADB’s director, the decade-long program has several purposes. “In the early days, the number-one priority of it was neighborhood beautification. And then a secondary priority was assisting low-to-moderate income homeowners with essential repairs to the exterior of their homes,” Smith said. Beautification itself was necessary for the community as building exteriors in disrepair led to the perception that a neighborhood may be unsafe, Smith added.
However, as the program developed, homeowners’ needs have become clearer. “One of the things we realized was a lot of our low-to-moderate income homeowners were struggling with essential repairs necessary to remain in their homes,” Smith said. When faced with an unaffordable repair, homeowners can feel that their only option is to sell and relocate, Smith continued. To meet this need, the program shifted toward focusing more on the economic disparities in the community by assisting in repair costs.
The Residential Façade Program offers homeowners within particular neighborhoods the opportunity to apply to have the exteriors of their homes repaired in cooperation with CADB. Qualified homeowners and their immediate family are expected to have incomes at or less than 80% of Bethlehem’s median income. Median income measurements change by year and vary based on the size of the household. According to current data provided by the US Census Bureau, the median income for Bethlehem is approximately $76,000 for average-sized families and $44,000 for non-family households. Smith estimates that more than 60% of residents within the city would fall within the Façade Program’s income guidelines.
Once approved, homeowners work with CADB and Community Action Homes to determine the scope of needed repairs and to receive bids from local contractors. The cost of the repairs is handled through a lien, which CADB forgives over time. After each year that passes, 20% is subtracted from the lien until the total cost is forgiven after five years. If a homeowner needs to move and sell the house before the lien is forgiven, CADB is clear that they can do so. Any remaining balance would be collected at the time of the sale of the house.
Previously, CADB repaired exteriors of homes along Hayes Street in South Bethlehem over a six-year period. CADB worked alongside homeowners as well as the Lehigh Valley Community Land Trust – a sister organization that aims to purchase, rehabilitate, and sell property at an affordable rate. “In a short time, [we] transformed the perception of this neighborhood from ‘this place is unsafe’ or ‘we have concerns about it’, or ‘this is run down,’ to ‘this is a really nice neighborhood where I want to live,’” Smith said.
As new and additional housing is developed in Bethlehem, the Façade Program makes sure that existing homes are habitable. By maintaining older homes, CADB contributes to preserving affordable housing in the city. Additionally, the Façade Program helps to address a wider perception about what development means for residents. New housing developments such as the Five 10 Flats on the south side or the soon-to-be-completed Boyd apartments on Broad Street do increase the overall housing options available in Bethlehem. However, different demographics may find that upscale apartment living may be too expensive for their budgets, or might not provide the space they need for their families. By providing a method to assist homeowners in the upkeep of their houses, CADB addresses an additional side of the complex housing problem in Bethlehem.
As the Lehigh Valley continues to grow, there will be a greater need for housing at all income levels, Smith asserts. As demand increases, rent and property values would rise. This would make it more difficult for people to afford housing within the city, and perhaps displace some current residents. “We need way more housing to accommodate all the people who want to live here,” Smith said. “We don’t build it, prices are just going to continue to go up. And you’re going to push out all of our low-income families eventually.”
As Bethlehem changes, the Façade Program shows that there is a way to grow without needing to remove historic homes and the people who live within them. As new housing options develop, initiatives such as the Façade Program demonstrate to residents that they are not expected to leave their homes to make room for people moving in. “I think it just makes it feel more inclusive: that you’re part of the movement and the change and that it’s a positive change,” Smith said. “In that sense, I think that the façade program can help to demonstrate that low-to-moderate income homeowners aren’t being left behind.”
To learn more about the facade program in the local Bethlehem area, visit Façade Grants.
