HELENA — Those in Helena looking to repair or add sidewalks to the area next to their homes can now apply for the city’s Sidewalk Improvement Loan Program.
“Whether it's pedestrian or cyclist or you're just out walking, you know, your kid in a stroller you want somewhere safe and off the road to be able to take that walk,” says Deputy Director of Transportation Systems for the city, Chris Couey.
The loan program allows homeowners to either repair the existing sidewalk that is next to their home or build one from the ground up.
The loan is offered at 0% interest and is repaid by way of the property owner’s annual tax bill over 10 years. As of Wednesday morning, already more than 100 people have submitted an application. Of those who have applied, around 35 have returned a signed estimate. And even though that may sound like a lot, Couey encourages folks to still apply.
“Well, yeah, I mean it's definitely always worth it to still fill out the application. And we're going to continue to take applications until we've reached that funding limit with those returned signed estimates,” says Couey.
There is currently $150,000 available for the loan program. But due to savings from last year’s loan program, another $40,000 is available on top of that.
The city is offering $5,000 loans for a single frontage and $10,000 loans for dual frontage.
“It's a big priority for the city, it's a priority for the Commission for us to have side, not only have sidewalks but to have sidewalks that are safe, that are in compliance with ADA standards, to make sure that everybody can get around the city in whatever mode of transportation they want to use,” says Couey.
To learn more about the City of Helena's sidewalk improvement program visit their website.
