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Frequently Asked Questions

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General Questions

What is the Home Recovery Alabama Program?

The Home Recovery Alabama Program (HRAP) provides housing assistance to eligible single-family owner/occupant applicants (Owner-Applicants) and owners of single-family rental properties (Landlord-Applicants) affected by Hurricane Sally in September 2020 and/or Hurricane Zeta in October 2020 (“qualifying storms”). HRAP assists property owners by providing funding to repair, reconstruct, or replace single-family homes that suffered damage from one or both qualifying storms.

Will I be reimbursed for repairs I’ve already done on my home?

The program does not reimburse funds already spent.

Can this program help me purchase a new home or help with rent?

HRAP will manage and complete the construction process for the repair or replacement of damaged homes or mobile home units on behalf of eligible owners. The program cannot support the purchase of a new home or subsidize rent payments.

Is HRAP a loan?

No, this is not a loan or a lien. This program provides grant funding. Eligible owners who are awarded grant funding are expected to adhere to the stipulations of the Homeowner Grant Agreement. As a condition of receiving a grant, owner/occupant applicants must agree to own and occupy the program-assisted home for a period of three (3) years. Landlord applicants must agree to lease the program-assisted home at affordable rates to low- or moderate-income households for a period of five (5) years.

Will the information I provide the program be stored in a secure location?

The program adheres to all federally required safeguard protocols. We take the security of personal information very seriously and have controls in place to safeguard your personal information.

Is there a deadline to apply?

HRAP begins accepting applications on March 27, 2023 and will continue to accept applications for six (6) months or until 3,000 applications are received, whichever comes first. As HRAP is subject to limited funding, it is recommended that interested individuals submit a complete application as soon as possible.

Will you help me find somewhere to live while my home is repaired/replaced/reconstructed?

Homeowners are expected to secure their own temporary living arrangement while construction is underway at their property. Lawful tenants of assisted properties may qualify for relocation assistance if they must relocate during program-sponsored construction activities, as provided under the Uniform Relocation Act.

Construction Questions

Will my reconstructed home have the same square footage as my damaged home?

The Program will attempt to replace the same number of bedrooms the damaged home contained. The Program standard is for reconstruction projects to contain 2 bathrooms. Square footage and the total number of rooms in the home (i.e. if there are two living rooms) cannot be considered when assigning reconstruction plan sets.

My damaged home had an attached garage and a brick veneer. Will my reconstructed home also have brick and an attached garage?

Reconstructed homes will be completed with a fiber cement siding material. Brick will not be replaced unless required by local zoning or homeowner association bylaws. Garages are not eligible for replacement unless required by a zoning or homeowner association bylaws. Bylaws are required to be legally documented and equally enforced on all property owners to be considered.

I have seen my plan sets and would like to work with the architect to move some walls and change the layout of the home. Is this possible?

In an effort to provide consistent benefits to all program applicants, the Program cannot facilitate modifications to Program-approved plan sets.

I currently have granite countertops and wood floors in my damaged home. In reviewing the plan sets provided by the Program, I noticed that the countertops are laminate and the floors are vinyl plank. Can I pay the general contractor to upgrade the materials in my home?

Once the keys are exchanged and turned over to the homeowner, the homeowner is free to replace flooring and countertops as they desire.  Please note that modifications/removal of Program-provided materials and completed work will void program warranties on those and affected items.  The general contractors are contractually prohibited from providing upgrades.

The scope of work for my rehabilitation project does not contain all of the scope I would like the contractor to complete. I would like some walls removed and the floor plan opened up and some hallways widened. Can this be added to the scope of work?

Rehabilitation scopes of work are developed to repair the unrepaired storm damage while also repairing items required to bring the home back to a “decent, safe, and sanitary” standard. Completing a remodel, or renovation, of the home is not part of the HRRP program.

The MHU replacement floor plan shown to me by my general contractor is not the same size and is not the same manufacturer as my damaged unit. Can I have the same floor plan, model, manufacturer as my damaged unit?

The Program has instructed general contractors to replace the same number of bedrooms as the damaged MHU and to ensure the new MHU has 2 bathrooms. If your damaged MHU was a single-wide, it will be replaced with a single-wide. If your damaged MHU was a double-wide, it will be replaced with a double-wide. The GC will install HUD-certified MHUs but cannot guarantee the same floor plan, model, or manufacturer of the damaged unit given current market conditions, supply chain constraints, and budget limitations. The aim of the program is to provide a decent, safe, and sanitary MHU to eligible MHU replacement applicants.

I have a rehabilitation award type and need the hallways widened, bathroom door widened, and I need a roll-in shower installed for my hall bathroom. My contractor is telling me that the existing tub/shower in the hallway is not damaged and not part of the scope of work and will not install the roll-in shower in that room. The tub/shower that is being replaced is located in the primary bedroom/bathroom suite. Can the installation of the roll-in shower be added to the scope of work for the hall bathroom?

Accessibility modifications can only be made on rehabilitation projects if the underlying item being replaced is non-functional or damaged. If the tub/shower in the hallway bathroom is not damaged and is functioning properly, the contractor cannot remove it for the installation of a roll-in shower. Since the tub/shower in the primary bedroom/bathroom suite is damaged and is being replaced, a roll-in shower can be added in that location. Unfortunately, the hallway widths cannot be changed as that would require moving interior walls, which is not part of the scope of work. If feasible, the widening of the bathroom door may be able to be accomplished if the bathroom door was also being replaced.

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs

The Home Recovery Alabama Program is administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

HRAP Call Center Line:
251-265-7958 or 251-262-9446

Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs

The Home Recovery Alabama Program is administered by the Alabama Department of Economic and Community Affairs.

HRAP Call Center Line:
251-265-7958 or 251-262-9446

Alabama HRAP

The HRAP application period is now closed.

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