Hickory – April is Fair Housing Month, and the City of Hickory is committed to affirmatively furthering Fair Housing in the community. The Fair Housing Act prohibits discrimination in the sale or rental of housing based on race, color, national origin, religion, sex, familial status, or handicap. For more information about the Fair Housing Act, visit www.oah.nc.gov/civil-rights-division/housing-discrimination/fair-housing or contact the NC Human Relations Commission at 1-866-324-7474.
The City of Hickory offers housing rehabilitation programs that aim to improve the quality of the local housing stock and make improvements that prevent the displacement of low to moderate income homeowners. The following programs are only available to homeowners that live inside the Hickory city limits:
The Housing Rehabilitation Loan Program provides loans of up to $25,000 to homeowners whose household income does not exceed 80 percent of the area median income. Funds can be used to bring housing units up to the City’s minimum housing code and for accessibility improvements necessary for residents with disabilities. Examples of eligible repairs include heat system replacement, window replacement, plumbing repairs, repairs of electrical wiring, and roof repairs. No monthly payments are required on the loan, as long as the house is maintained as the principal residence of the borrower. In addition, half of the loan balance is forgiven if the borrower maintains the home as a primary residence for at least five years.
The Urgent Repair Program provides forgivable loans to homeowners of up to $12,000 to households with special needs whose income does not exceed 50 percent of the statewide median income. These funds may be used for urgent repairs or accessibility improvements that are required to avert the displacement of the homeowner.
For more information about the City of Hickory’s Housing Rehabilitation Programs and to confirm current program requirements, please contact the Community Development Division at 828-323-7414.
