Logan Offers Up To $10,000 To Homeowners in Neighborhood Reinvestment
Apr 25, 2019, 8:34 PM | Updated: 8:36 pm
LOGAN, Utah — Larry Tolley bought a fixer-upper, to say the least. His home, located within a few miles, east of Main Street, was built around 1900. Tolley says since he and his wife bought it in 1985, there have been numerous projects, and expansions.
“There are moments when I say this is my dream home,” Tolley started to explain, smiling. “And there are moments when I say this is my nightmare home, because it’s a lot of work.”
For his current project however, Tolley has a bit of help. Thanks to Logan city’s neighborhood reinvestment program, that started up about a year ago, he now has matching grants, up to $10,000 total, to help with improvements to the home’s outer-appearance.
“We decided to take advantage of this to maybe add a few more things we couldn’t have done,” Tolley said. “We’re replacing the siding that is kind of mismatched, and the windows.”
Tolley is one of only a handful of people who have taken advantage of the city’s reinvestment plan. Homeowners who make up to around 120% of the area’s median income, can get matching grants to help with their primary home’s overall curb appeal.
Logan Mayor Holly Daines said the grants, that are for homes built before 1970, is meant to help improve neighborhoods around downtown.
“Sometimes it’s easier to go out and build a new home on a green field, outside of the city, but that creates sprawl, people have to drive further,” Daines explained. “If we can encourage people to come back to these core neighborhoods, and new families to move in, people that are there to upgrade so they want to stay longer, we think it’s a good thing for the city.”
Tolley says the program worked out well for him and his wife, Sandra. There always seems to be an improvement in the works on their home, even if the work is done by a work crew, made up of only himself.
“It’s a lot of work,” Tolley said, laughing. “It’s not the quickest, easiest way to do it.”
A brochure, and application form for Logan’s reinvestment program, can be found here.