West Hill tapped for Heritage Home Program
By Stephanie Kist
WEST HILL — The Cleveland Restoration Society (CRS) is expanding its Heritage Home Program into Summit County, and some owners of older and historic homes in West Hill and Highland Square are among the first who can take advantage of the program.
The Heritage Home Program offers low-interest financing and technical advice to enable owners of homes that are more than 50 years old, and consisting of three or fewer units, to repair, renovate or maintain their houses.
“Half the battle for a homeowner who owns an older home is finding the right information,” said Sara Hobbs, senior manager of preservation projects for CRS.
Hobbs said the area was chosen because of the historic district in West Hill, the strong neighborhood organizations in the area and the quality of housing stock.
West Hill Neighborhood Organization (WHNO) President Jane Startzman said the fact that the CRS chose West Hill and Highland Square to expand the program shows why a historic district is important.
The historic district in West Hill includes 45 properties — 43 homes and two churches — and encompasses the homes on both sides of Oakdale Avenue between Crosby Street and Crestwood Avenue, one side of Woodland Avenue between Oakdale and Crosby, and two homes on Balch Street off Woodland, Startzman said.
Startzman said the WHNO has been waiting with bated breath for the Heritage Home Program to expand into Summit County.
“We are so, so excited
and happy that this is happening,” she said. “We’re
very honored that our neighborhood has been chosen as
the core, the target area.”
CRS also will open a new Akron
office in the restored firehouse on the corner of Crosby
and Maple streets in the next few weeks and plans to
eventually expand the program into all of Summit County.
Interior and exterior projects
are eligible on homes that are 50 years old or older,
have no vinyl or aluminum siding or vinyl replacement
windows, and have much of the home’s historic
integrity intact.
“The goal of the program
is to really try to retain the important architectural
characteristics of the house,” Hobbs said.
Work that has already been started
or paid for is not eligible for financing.
Heritage staff provides assistance
to homeowners via site visits, custom construction specifications,
historic color consults and collateral materials, Hobbs
said.
Projects range from new roofs,
painting, landscaping, porch repair, additions, window
repair, driveways, storm windows, kitchen and bath
renovations and more.
The 10-year loan has a 3.5 percent
fixed interest rate. Two percent of the loan amount
is charged to pay for the technical consulting service.
KeyBank is the lender for this program.
There are income and purchase-price
limitations on whether a homeowner can receive a loan.
Within a target area, one- or two-person families with
incomes up to $72,840 and families with three or more
members with incomes up to $84,980, and a home with
a purchase price up to $245,988, may qualify.
In a nontarget area, the income
limitation is $60,700 for one- or two-person families
and $69,805 for three or more family members, and the
purchase price limitation is $201,263.
For more information or to determine
if your home qualifies or whether it is in a target
or nontarget area, call the CRS at (330) 814-3400 or
(216) 426-3118.
The CRS is a Local Partner affiliate
of the National Trust for Historic Preservation. To
learn more about the CRS and the Heritage Home Program,
visit www.clevelandrestoration.org.
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