Dallas Considers Paying Cash To Some Homeowners To Fix Properties

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DALLAS (CBS11) - A proposal by the City of Dallas called The Home Improvement Rebate Program, would give some homeowners cash to fix their homes.

Walter Wharton says he and his wife want to keep their house looking its best and like this idea.

"We're constantly doing something around the house," said Wharton.

The Whartons are putting in a new driveway and just finished installing new windows and siding.

In all, they're spending about $20,000 to improve the house they've called home in North Dallas for 22 years.

"We want to keep our property up. That's very important to us. I don't want the neighborhood to go down," said Wharton.

To qualify, the property can't be assessed at more than $200,000 and homeowners must invest at least ten percent of their property's value in improvements.

The work would be done to the exterior or the interior, and would have to start within six months of the application.

Improvements would have to be completed within a year.

Homeowners would receive a rebate worth up to 25 percent of the improvements, but the rebate would be capped at $5,000.

It would apply to homeowners in 15 areas in the city designated either "Neighborhood Up" or "Neighborhood Plus."

Wharton's Park Central neighborhood is designated "Neighborhood Plus."

Cities like Plano, Richardson, Carrollton, and Fort Worth already have similar programs.

Peer Chacko, the Chief Planning Officer and Director in the city's office of Planning and Urban Design said, "One of the things Dallas has to think about is being competitive because people are buying homes and they do have choices."

Chacko says the program in the other cities has proven to improve neighborhoods, and believes it will help Dallas as well. "It's really important for attracting people back to parts of Dallas that have been neglected for years. It's part of the city's neighborhood revitalization initiative," said Chacko.

Wharton says it's a great idea Dallas leaders need to approve. "Get with it, cause it's certainly something that can help the neighborhood. There are certainly plenty of neighbors here who would use that kind of assistance, and I wouldn't turn it down."

On Monday, the city council's Housing committee approved the idea.

If okayed by the full council, the $500,000 pilot program would begin November 1.

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