BY STACIE LETT CAIN

In an effort to assist residents purchase their own home and help others make needed home repairs, the Statesville City Council voted on Monday to approve a contract with the Iredell Housing Fund, a partnership with the United Way of Iredell County.

The program, which provides funding for weatherization and other repairs as well as down-payment assistance, will work with other area agencies and programs to facilitate home ownership for those who may not be able to achieve it on their own.

“We may not be able to get families into homes by ourselves, but we are working to be part of the process in helping make that happen,” Assistant to the City Manager Matthew Pierce explained to the council.

The council voted to approve the contract, which would trigger the use of $190,000 in proceeds from the sale of city-owned property for the housing initiative.

But not all council members support the effort.

“We are assisting people here with the down payment on a home and I think this is a mistake,” Council member Steve Johnson explained. “We can assist to get this family into the home, and then they can’t afford the payments and the insurance or the maintenance on the home and then they lose it. It doesn’t work.”

Pierce shared his personal experience obtaining assistance when purchasing his home.

“I was completely able to pay the payments, insurance and maintenance but there is no way without the $30,000 I received for the down payment that I could have been able to buy my house,” Pierce explained. “I think there are other people out there who have the means to make the payments but just need this extra help to make it happen.”

The council approved the contract with Steve Johnson and C.O. Johnson opposing.

Council member Kim Wasson was chosen to participate on the committee.

CONSTRUCTION UPDATE

City Manager Ron Smith updated City Council on several building projects during Monday’s meeting.

Supports have been erected at the site of the Municipal Complex, which will eventually house Electrical Utilities, and the exterior walls of the garage building are completed with work moving inside.

At the Statesville Regional Airport, employees have moved into a temporary facility, and grading has begun for the new terminal building.

Meanwhile, two buildings on the site of the police department expansion have been demolished. A third building, the old Parrish Tire building, will be torn down just before construction begins on the SPD expansion.

NEXT MEETING

The next Statesville City Council meeting will be held on August 5 at 6 p.m. The pre-agenda meeting will be held on August 1 at 4 p.m.