(Shown in picture: Elizabethtown Mayor Pro Tem Rufus Lloyd and Council Member Herman Lewis inspect the new porch on one of the homes.)

Three homeowners in Elizabethtown are receiving help to live in safer houses through a Community Development Block Grant – Neighborhood Revitalization, from the US Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), administered through the North Carolina Department of Commerce.

“Each homeowner faced different challenges in staying in their home due to safety concerns and unhealthy conditions,” Assistant Town Manager Pat DeVane said. DeVane added that some of the damages were caused by hurricane damage from 2018.

The project included the renovation and rehabilitation of one home including a new roof, kitchen, deck, and windows. The second home and the third home had to be demolished and new homes constructed. Two of the homes are in the New Town area and one is in the western part of the town.

DeVane reported that one of the three families has settled in their newly rebuilt home, while another rebuilt home is almost finished. The rehabbed home is also near completion.

To take part, the homeowners needed to first own their home, be current on their taxes and compliant with any zoning regulations.

The Town of Elizabethtown received the CDBG-NR grant in 2020. The administration of the grant was awarded to The Adams Company, Inc., in Warsaw, NC. As administrator, The Adams Company works with the homeowner to certify their eligibility and supervises the repairs and construction of the homes.

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