Sandy Lake has been awarded a $500,000 HOME grant by the state Department of Community and Economic Development to provide homeowner-occupied housing rehabilitation services in Sandy Lake and Stoneboro. The grant is the first for Sandy Lake and the maximum allowed for such a program.

Mercer County Commissioners awarded Sandy Lake $100,000 in matching funds from the county’s Act 137 Affordable Housing Trust Fund.

State lawmakers enacted Act 137 in 1992 with the goal of increasing quality affordable housing throughout the Commonwealth. Mercer County established its own Affordable Housing Trust Fund in 2001. The county program is funded through an $11.50 fee on each recorded property transfer. Currently, the fund has a balance of more than $300,000.

The program will help low- to moderate-income homeowners in either borough by providing grants of up to $25,000 for electrical, plumbing, windows and furnaces. The county’s contribution will be used to provide standard rehab services for several more homes.

The program is open to any homeowner who meets income guidelines in either borough. In some cases, rental properties may be eligible for lead-paint abatement only. Elderly women and families with children younger than six or women ages 16 to 45 are especially encouraged to apply.

Program funds will become available as soon as formal guidelines and a list of qualified contractors are established, likely by late spring.

For more information, contact program coordinator, Shelby Clark, 724-450-0422, or borough secretaries, Cindy Troy in Sandy Lake or Rosalynn Reagle in Stoneboro.