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May 17, 2011 For more information, contact: Contractors Needed For Home Renovation Projects Rolla, Region Homeowners and contractors are needed for housing renovation projects beginning soon in the Meramec Region, announced Byron Baker, president of the Meramec Community Development Corp. Some $340,000 will be invested in housing improvements, and some 15 homes are expected to be improved. The Missouri Housing Development Corporation has awarded MCEC two grants to continue housing renovation projects in the region. One grant is for $150,000 and will target the city of Rolla, which was selected as a DREAM community. The second grant is for $190,000 and can be used across the eight-county Meramec Region, which includes Crawford, Dent, Gasconade, Maries, Osage, Phelps, Pulaski and Washington counties. MCEC is a 501©3 that works in partnership with Meramec Regional Planning Commission. Meramec Regional Planning Commission will carry out the projects on behalf of MCEC. “We are pleased to have the opportunity to provide these funds to improve the quality of some homes for lower income homeowners as well as provide additional work for local contractors,” said Baker, a banker from Linn. Homeowners and contractors wishing to participate in the program should contact MRPC. “If homeowners want their homes considered for improvements, they need to contact our office,” explained MRPC Community Development Specialist Maria Kardon, who serves as project administrator. Homeowners must meet income eligibility requirements to be included in the program and must have owned the home for at least three years. Contractors are also needed for the renovation work. In addition to the $340,000 grant for single-family rehab work, MRPC is also overseeing another $1.7 million in renovation grants that will benefit senior citizen housing complexes in Westphalia, Linn, Rich Fountain, Hermann and Sullivan and another $306,000 grant for additional rental housing renovations. The Westphalia project is funded by the Federal Home Loan Bank of Des Moines and the other projects are through the Missouri Department of Economic Development. "We have quite a bit of housing renovation work to do, and we need to expand our contractor base in order to get the work done in a timely fashion," explained MRPC Housing Rehab Coordinator Chuck Cantrell. The renovation work may include roofs, doors, insulation, window replacement, siding, HVAC updates, electrical work, floor coverings, kitchen cabinetry, tubs and showers, sidewalk repair and drainage work. Prospective contractors for upcoming projects must complete a two-page application, available through MRPC’s website at www.meramecregion.org. The application requests client, supplier, financial references and information on past work experience. To work on this rehab project, contractors must carry liability insurance and workers compensation, if required. Contractors must also be registered with the Secretary of State's Office and cannot be on any federal debarred list. Contractors addressing lead issues also must be certified in new EPA lead course. Cantrell will prepare a work write-up for each home and will host a walk-through so contractors can see and discuss work to be performed. The work will then be bid, and the homeowner will select the contractor to be used. Renovation work usually takes about 45 days per home. Homeowners and contractors needing more information or wanting to complete applications can contact Cantrell or Kardon at (573) 265-2993 or by email at ccantrell@meramecregion.org or mkardon@meramecregion.org. Contractor applications can also be picked up at the MRPC office at 4 Industrial Drive in St. James, and are available online at www.meramecregion.org |