Two Maine nonprofits will share $170,000 in federal grants to cover home repairs for eligible low- and very low-income residents in Franklin, Knox, Penobscot and Piscataquis counties.
Each of the groups, Bangor-based Penquis and Western Community Action in East Wilton, will receive $84,829 from the U.S. Department of Agriculture Rural Development’s Housing Preservation Program.
“At USDA Rural Development, we know how important home ownership is to rural Mainers,” said USDA Rural Development Maine State Director Rhiannon Hampson in Monday’s announcement. “But paying for maintenance and even for urgent repairs can be out of reach for many people, particularly older residents.”
She also said the two organizations “know their communities and can put these dollars to work where they are needed the most, ensuring more low- and very-low-income Mainers can live in warm, safe homes.”
USDA’s Housing Preservation Program provides grants to sponsoring organizations to repair or rehabilitate housing owned or occupied by low- and very-low-income rural citizens. Maine’s 2023 grant recipients will work with eligible homeowners across the four counties.
Penquis will use the funds to help homeowners in Penobscot, Piscataquis and Knox counties make needed repairs to their homes, while Western Maine Community Action will use the funds to rehabilitate eligible owner-occupied homes in Franklin County.
The two awards are among 208 that USDA announced nationwide, as the department says it continues to bring federal funding to people and communities in underserved rural areas.