Niagara Falls, N.Y. (WBEN) - Niagara Falls Mayor Robert Restaino announced on Wednesday a number of new initiatives the city is rolling out for residents with the goal of improving neighborhoods, as well as improving communication between residents, City Hall, and other various departments.
The first initiative announced for residents, as part of the city's plan, includes a home improvement loan program. This will provide an opportunity for residents to obtain a low interest loan for home improvements throughout the community.
More than $390,000 has been dedicated by Mayor Restaino the program, with the funding coming from the State Attorney General's Cities Rise Grant.
All homeowners in Niagara Falls will be eligible for a loan worth up to $15,000 tthat will go towards paying for home improvement projects, including roof replacement and repairs, and other exterior work such as siding replacement repair, gutters, porch repairs, garages, sidewalk replacement, etc. The $15,000 loans will be repaid over 10 years at a 3% annual interest rate.
Not only would the money help residents significantly improve the structural integrity of their homes, but it will also improve the aesthetics of neighborhoods across the city.
Also available for Niagara Falls residents is a property purchase program, which will make city-owned lots available to homeowners who live adjacent to the properties. In total, there are 52 lots throughout the city, and they are available for personal or residential use to make better use of the property.
Mayor Restaino says the city will notify residents who are eligible to participate in the program, and once purchased, the additional property would then be added to the resident's existing property.
Another initiative as part of this plan is for a sewer lateral repair program. This will allow for funding to be available for homeowners to make repairs to the sewer laterals on or nearby their property. For those living in eligible areas around the city, they qualify to receive a forgivable loan.
As it stands in the City of Niagara Falls, homeowners are responsible for the repair of sewer laterals, even after the pipe extends past a property line and into the street. When a sewer lateral breaks, it can often cause large craters or sink holes in the roadway. The cost of fixing a broken lateral can be extremely expensive to residents, because oftentimes, the issue lies under a city street.
City of Niagara Falls
While there is no limit on the amount of funding a resident can receive for this program, there are several stipulations a property-owner must meet in order to qualify for the assistance.
When applying for the funding, a resident must show proof being the property owner, and that property is the owner's primary residence. It also must be maintained as such for, at least, five years after the completion of work – at which point the loan will be forgiven. If not, the loan must be repaid. All taxes and liens on the property also must be paid and up-to-date.
Residents applying for funding must also meet HUD income requirements. For example, a family of four would qualify for HUD assistance if its annual income was $63,100 or less. In addition, in order to qualify for funding to repair sewer laterals, residents must live in areas that are approved for the Community Development Block Grant.
City of Niagara Falls
With these three programs, they are designed to help neighborhoods re-design themselves. They are designed to assist residents so they can re-invest and help create a better community for all.
Finally comes the initiatives that will help residents be able to communicate better with the City of Niagara Falls, and vise versa.
The first program is the new 311 Call and Resolution Center, which will allow for members of the community to notify the city about non-emergency service requests, such as code violations, potholes, tree problems, sidewalks, snow removal, trash and debris, etc.
Residents are now able to call (716)-286-4311 to report problems, and soon there will be a 311 system portal on the homepage of the city's website. By clicking on the "311" button, residents will be given a ticket number and have the ability to see the time and date of their report, what action is being taken to address the issue, and when it will be completed.
Mayor Restaino says the goal behind this initiative is to make the government as responsive as it can be to the residents, while also utilizing the power of the residents.
The city is also launching a new program that utilizes text messages to deliver pertinent information to residents and people in surrounding communities.
Similar to push alerts sent through apps on smart phones, these text alerts will deliver information and updates directly to citizens. However, these notifications will not be limited to people with smart phones. Anyone who has access to a cell phone can receive Niagara Falls text alerts.
Residents are able to opt-in to the service, where they will then have the choice of what information they'd like to receive:
- Road closures
- Construction updates
- Youth and senior programs
- School closures
- Sporting events
- And much more...
To sign up for text alerts from the city, you can text "RESIDENT" to 716-FALLS-23 (716-325-5723), or you can scan the QR code down below:
City of Niagara Falls
You can listen to Wednesday's entire press conference with Mayor Restaino below:
