By Joey Chenoweth | Coolidge Examiner
In the early months of 2014, an older Coolidge neighborhood is going to have a new look, thanks to the City of Coolidge’s Occupied Housing Rehabilitation program.
During the early months of 2014, the rehab program will have reached a milestone, having completed its 40th comprehensive rehabilitation since 2009. It will be the 78th house that has been fixed up since the program began in 2004 as an emergency repair service, before the state shut down that part of the program due to lack of funding.
Under a comprehensive rehabilitation, a homeowner, who must live in that home, can apply to the city’s grant department for help repairing their home. The request is usually for a new air conditioner or heater, or maybe a new sewer line. City officials then inspect the home to find any other code violations either inside or outside the structure. If all of the problems are fixable, a contracted company will work to bring the house up to code. If it is not fixable, the house is demolished and replaced with a brand new structure. Of the 40 comprehensive projects, 25 have been demolitions.
