Frequently Asked Questions

HOW DOES THE LEAD HAZARD REDUCTION PROGRAM WORK?

Assistance is provided on a “first come, first serve” basis. The program provides one-time assistance to qualified homeowners with lead hazards in the home. The level of assistance is limited solely to the amount required to address identified lead hazards. The maximum amount of assistance per household may not exceed $20,000. 

HOW DO I QUALIFY FOR THE PROGRAM?

• Income Eligibility
  1. A household must be income eligible. The total household income may not exceed 80% of the area median income by family size. Income Limits are published by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. Below are the current income guidelines for this program.

• Homeowner Requirements
  1. The home must be located within the city limits of Clarksville.
  2. The home must be your primary residence and you must have lived in your home for a minimum of twelve (12) months prior to assistance. 
  3. You must be able to provide a copy of the deed to your home and the title must be clear from all extraordinary liens and encumbrances including:
     • Past due property tax liens
     • Past due special assignment liens
     • Mechanics liens
     • Real estate contracts not between the title owner and borrower
     • Paid off mortgages not released
     • Lawsuits
     • Life Estates (Not eligible under this program)
     • Judgments

HOW DO I APPLY FOR ASSISTANCE?

To process your application, you, the homeowner will need to submit a completed application and provide the required documentation. When completing your application be sure to do the following instructions and provide all forms of documentation required. 

• Complete every section of the application
• Read and sign the applicant certification statements.
   Separation or Divorce Settlement Statement: A separation or divorce settlement statement for alimony will need to be evidenced by regular payment of the alimony payments, if applicable.
• Regular Contributions or Payments from Others: This includes funds contributed by other family members, regardless of whether they live in the same dwelling as the prospective borrower, will be included and income verified with canceled checks written by the payer, bank statements showing deposits in the prospective borrower's account, or written notarized letter concerning the contribution or payment. 
• Unemployment or Temporary Disabilities: When calculating income for applicants who are unemployed or temporarily disabled, six (6) months of unemployment or disability compensation plus six (6) months of income from the last job will be used to calculate yearly income. 
• Pension, disability, social security or social service benefits: Acceptable methods of verifying such income include any one or more of the following, which are listed in order of preference:
  1. A copy of the benefits form obtained by the borrower
  2. A copy of the award letter

After submitting your application, CNCS staff may contact you for more specific information about your home and schedule a preliminary inspection. 

WILL CNCS PLACE A LIEN ON MY HOUSE EQUAL TO THE GRANT AMOUNT?            

Yes. Clarksville Neighborhood and Community Services will hold a lien on the property. The lien will be in the form of a three (3) year forgivable grant; it will self-amortize by one-third (33%) of the principal amount every year. Meaning, if the applicant lives in their home as their primary residence AND maintains ownership for three (3) years, they will owe nothing back to CNCS. If ownership changes or the applicant no longer resides in their home on a primary basis, they will repay the remaining balance on a prorated basis. (NOTE: The lien can be assumed by an income-eligible homebuyer.)

Example: A homeowner receives $12,000 in lead hazard reduction work, and has lived in the home for two years and one month after repairs were completed. The property changes ownership due to sale of the property. The repayment will be calculated as:

Amount of assistance received / 36 months term * X number of months remaining in term = amount to repay. 

($12,000/36) x 13 = $4,333.33

In this example, the homeowner that received $20,000 will repay $4,333.33 for the 13 months remaining in the three-year contract. The other $7,666.67 will be forgiven.
 

WHAT NEIGHBORHOODS ARE ELIGIBLE FOR ASSISTANCE?

The property must be located within the city limits of Clarksville.

WHO DETERMINES WHAT WORK NEEDS TO BE DONE OR CAN BE DONE?

Once the homeowner has been income-qualified and CNCS has verified the age of the home, CNCS staff will arrange to visit the house to inspect the conditions of the house. Once staff will confirm that there are no major code violations, they will discuss the lead inspection and risk assessment (LIRA) process with the homeowner. A list of work will be developed based on financial feasibility and the findings and recommendations of the lead risk assessor. Lead hazard controls may include [insert examples here]. 

If there are other underlying issues contributing to the lead hazards (e.g., leaking plumbing, moisture intrusion, a leaking chimney, etc.), they may be addressed as part of the lead hazard control plan.

WHO DOES THE WORK AND HOW ARE THEY SELECTED?

CNCS will maintain a list of qualified and insured contractors. The City will solicit bids from them, and the homeowner then enters into a contract with the lowest and best bidder. CNCS reserves the right to deny a homeowner assistance if the repair work exceeds the budget set for the project.

HOW IS MY HOUSEHOLD INCOME CALCULATED?

• Inclusions:
  1. All earnings, including salary and wages, tips, overtime and bonuses of the prospective borrowers, and his or her spouse and all adults (18 years of age or older living in the property)
  2. Taxable interest and dividends
  3. Taxable refunds, or credits (There are some exceptions)
  4. Alimony (or separate maintenance payments (received)
  5. Business income (loss)
  6. Capital Gain (loss)
  7. Rental real estate, royalties, partnerships, S corporations, trusts, etc.
  8. Farm Income (loss)
  9. Unemployment compensation payments
  10. VA Disability Income
  11. Taxable amount of Social Security benefits
  12. Other Income: This includes prizes and awards; gambling, lottery or raffle winnings; jury duty fees; income from any rental property, any income.
• Exclusions
  1. Income from employment of children (including foster children) under age 18
  2. Payments received for the care of foster children
  3. Lump sum additions to family assets, such as inheritances, or insurance payments
  4. The full amount of student financial assistance paid directly to the student or to the educational institution
  5. Special pay to family member serving in the Armed Forces
  6. Temporary, nonrecurring or sporadic income
  7. Health insurance payments not paid by employer
  8. Alimony or maintenance payments paid
  9. Non-reimbursable extraordinary medical costs that reliable medical opinion dictates are likely to continue for more than one (1) year.