By Marco Iafrate

Independent News Service Reporter

The Mason County Board of Commissioners sent an application to the state to receive $1.5 million in grant funding to be used exclusively for housing rehabilitation, as approved at their July 8 meeting.

With the money, the county would be distributing loans to residents who apply to the grant program. It has parameters which allow some residents to not have to pay back the loans.

“If the project is under $10,000 dollars, we will then offer that as a grant with no requirement for repayment,” said County Administrator Kaitlyn Szczypka.

If the project is over $10,000, she said the county will offer zero interest loans to those residents.

They can retain the zero interest on the loan by living in the home for at least five years.

“And we will secure that with a second mortgage,” Szczypka also said.

If accepted, they expect to be able to work on more or less than 32 households with that sum alone.

Mason County has already been awarded several rehab grants since last year, as there are already 77 applicants on a wait-list.

In all, the county has accumulated $1,271,400 from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority for this purpose of housing rehab.

Commissioner Nicholas Krieger said that other counties have not been participating in this grant program.

“Essentially this is just… I shouldn’t say just. This is a great opportunity to apply for money to further fund what we’ve already had in place, really for years in this county. I just wanted to make sure that this wasn’t something that had new strings attached since I didn’t do the deep dive on it,” Commissioner Krieger said.

From public comment was remarked that, “free money” being “dumped,” into the government causes inflation.

INS attempted to get a hold of the county administrator. She attended the meeting virtually from her computer, as she is currently on vacation.