Please scroll through the following list of the most frequently asked questions about the City of Riverview's Housing Rehabilitation Program.

What is the housing rehabilitation program?  A program available to income qualified residents through Wayne County Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) to assist in fixing your home.  Items that often qualify include roofing, electrical, plumbing, and energy efficiency.

How do I get my name on the list?  Call Denise Sciacca at 1-734-281-4248.  How do I qualify?  Income limits change with each program year, which runs from July 1 through June 30.  Wayne County advises of of the limits established by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD).  Income limits depend on the number of people living in a household .  Please call Denise Sciacca at (734) 281-4248 for more information.

When will the rehabilitation be done to my house?  We cannot guarantee when work will commence.  Our annual funding allocation has been approximately $50,000.  Emergencies have priority and may change the amount of available funding.

How much does it cost?  There are no up front costs for participating in the program.  A lien is placed on your home equaling the total spent for rehabilitation.

What is a lien?  A lien is a legal right to hold property.  Upon completion of the rehabilitation of your home, you will sign papers giving the City of Riverview and Wayne County a lien in the amount of work done to your home.  This lien becomes due and payable if there is any transfer in ownership (i.e. you move or sell your home to someone else) or if you default under any of the terms of the lien.

When do I have to pay the money back?  The lien is due and payable upon the selling of your home or may become immediately due and payable should you default under any of the terms of the lien.

What is the interest rate?  There is no interest attached to this lien.  What is spent in rehabilitating your home will be what is due at the time you sell your home.

What happens if I sell my house and move?  The lien becomes due and payable immediately.

What is an emergency?  An emergency is defined by Wayne County as "life threatening".  In the past, such items as leaking roofs, electrical and some plumbing issues have been deemed emergencies.

What is Lead Based Paint and how will it affect the rehabilitation of my home?  The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) has mandated that all homes rehabilitated with federal dollars are required to undergo lead based paint testing.  Considering the serious health risks lead represents to children, HUS has taken a proactive stance in protecting occupants during rehabilitation by requiring tests prior to any repairs/work that determine if a surface contains lead.  If it is found that surfaces contain lead, special measures are taken to eliminate risk to the occupants.  Currently, Wayne County is absorbing the costs of these tests for Housing Rehabilitation participants and those costs will NOT become part of your lien.