PANAMA CITY — The Panama City Community Redevelopment Agency (CRA) moved Tuesday to loosen the requirements for a residential grant program targeting low-income homeowners.
Launched by the agency last year, the pilot program provides 100 percent grants to qualifying residents, while standard CRA grants require owners to pay upfront for improvement projects for which they are reimbursed 50 percent if approved.
The CRA budgeted $100,000 last year and another $68,500 this year for the program, which is aimed at reducing blight in aging neighborhoods such as Glenwood in the CRA North District, where many homes are in need of new roofs or other major repairs.