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NMHC eyes renovating foreclosed units for use of homeless
The Northern Marianas Housing Corp. will be looking into utilizing its Emergency Solutions Grant to rehabilitate foreclosed units that Karidat Social Services can assign to homeless people.
NMHC board member Ignacio Perez said that NMHC has some foreclosed properties and asked NMHC deputy corporate director Jeannie Mafnas if it was possible to utilize the ESG funds for rehabilitating them.
According to Mafnas, they can’t use the ESG to do that but said that NMHC will look into doing that.
Perez said in last week’s board meeting that by utilizing the ESG fund for families, they can rehabilitate these properties and let Karidat assign them to their clients, specifically the homeless.
“You’re still utilizing the ESG funds in the same manner as it was intended for, although this way you’re rehabbing the property and assigning them,” Perez said.
Mafnas said the ESG was formally known as an Emergency Shelter Grant and that kind of activity, rehabilitation, would’ve been allowed but when it transitioned into the Emergency Solutions Grant, the eligible activities now is to assist families with financial assistance so they don’t become homeless.
ESG provides over $60,000 in funding to individuals being served under the ESG Program that was developed back in 2011. It offers financial assistance to people who are at risk of being homeless or are literally homeless.
The ESG then provides 7.5 percent of funding for administrative cost between NMHC and Karidat.
NMHC sets the criteria rules and executes a contract every year with Karidat and Karidat takes control of the funds and provides the assistance to the homeless.
