Jones County accepting applications for urgent home repair program
TRENTON — Jones County is accepting applications for a housing assistance program intended to address urgent health and safety hazards in the homes of qualifying residents.
Applications for the county’s 2027 Urgent Repair Program will be accepted through Sept. 30. Completed applications and supporting documentation must be received by the Jones County Manager’s Office by 5 p.m. that day.
The program assists eligible homeowners with major repairs needed to correct conditions that pose an immediate threat to the health or safety of the occupants. It may also provide accessibility modifications that allow residents to remain safely in their homes.
“The Urgent Repair Program gives low and very low income homeowners an opportunity to address critical home repairs that threaten their health or safety, repairs they might otherwise be unable to afford,” said Jennifer King, Jones County deputy administrator and consolidated human services director.
Funding is provided by the North Carolina Housing Finance Agency.
To qualify, applicants must live in Jones County and own and occupy the home needing repairs. Household income must be at or below 50% of the county median income for the applicant’s household size.
Applicants must have an urgent repair need that cannot be addressed through another state- or federally funded housing assistance program. The household must also meet at least one of the program’s special-needs criteria.
Those criteria include being age 62 or older; having a disability; being a single parent with a dependent child in the home; being a veteran; having a household of five or more people; or having a child younger than 6 living in a home with documented lead hazards.
Eligible work may include replacing or repairing a failed heating system that has created unsafe living conditions, addressing a serious roof failure, installing an accessibility ramp or completing another modification necessary for safe entry or continued occupancy.
Medically necessary cooling may also qualify when supported by the circumstances of the household. Other major conditions may be considered if the county determines they pose an immediate threat to health or safety.
“Through this program, we have replaced failing roofs, restored essential heating and cooling systems, constructed accessibility ramps, and corrected other serious health and safety hazards, which have allowed these residents to remain in their homes,” King said.
The program is not intended to pay for general home maintenance, remodeling, cosmetic improvements or upgrades. Repairs will be limited to the work necessary to correct the qualifying urgent condition.
Work completed through the program must meet or exceed applicable North Carolina Residential Building Code requirements, but the program does not require every deficiency in a home to be repaired or the entire property to be brought into compliance with current housing standards.
Funding is limited, and the county anticipates assisting approximately 11 households during this funding cycle. Meeting the basic eligibility requirements does not guarantee an applicant will receive assistance.
Eligible applications will be scored and ranked based on household income, special needs and the severity and urgency of the requested repair. According to the county, households with the lowest incomes and the most serious health and safety needs will receive the highest priority.
“With limited funding and high demand, we encourage residents to review the eligibility requirements and apply before the deadline,” King said.
Application packets are available online through the Jones County website and at the following locations:
Jones County Manager’s Office, 110 S. Market St., Trenton
Jones County Senior Center, 147 Francks Field Road, Trenton
Jones County Department of Social Services, 418 N.C. 58 South, Trenton
Online applicants will need access to a printer. Completed applications and all required documentation must be submitted to the Jones County Manager’s Office.
For questions or assistance with an application, contact Housing Counselor Sheila Myers at 252-448-7571.
