Opportunities for improvement abound
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Hey there, time traveller!
This article was published 24/06/2019 (2519 days ago), so information in it may no longer be current.
If you are a homeowner, landlord, business owner or rooming house operator in the West End, you could be eligible for some exterior property fix-up grants from local organizations that hope to contribute to neighbourhood revitalization, stability and safety.
As always, the West End Business Improvement Zone is offering storefront improvement grants and safety grants, as well as its popular business development grants, to businesses in the West End BIZ. The BIZ will cover 50 per cent of the pre-tax cost of a project to a maximum of $1,000. If your project was completed within the past year, you can still apply for a rebate of 25 per cent of the pre-tax cost to a maximum of $1,000. These grants can be used for everything from exterior lighting to counterfeit money detectors to new signage and much, much more. Give them a call to discuss your ideas or go to westendbiz.ca to find more info and application forms.
If you are a resident or landlord in the Daniel McIntyre/St. Matthews area, you can apply for an exterior fix-up grant from the Daniel McIntyre/St. Matthews Revitalisation Inc. (DMSMRI) exterior fix-up grant to improve your property’s safety, quality or appearance. The catchment boundaries are Portage Avenue (south), Notre Dame Avenue (north), Victor Street (east) and Ingersoll Street (west). The maximum grant is $1,000 and the property owner has to pay 25 per cent of the cost of the project. In previous years, fences, broken windows and replacing eaves have been the top picks for home improvements. Landlords can also apply as well but have to match the amount of the grant up to a maximum grant of $1,000 (and, of course, the improvement can’t result in a rent hike for tenants). Visit dmsmri.ca for more info and an application form.
The West Broadway Community Association’s Property Improvement Program is prioritizing homes north of Broadway as well as rental properties and rooming houses for the grants it distributes this year. The catchment-area boundaries are loosely defined as Cornish Street (south), the west side of Maryland Street to Osborne Street and the river to Portage Avenue. For homeowners, the maximum grant is $1,500 and they have to cover 60 per cent of the cost of the project. Rooming house operators and landlords have different grant percentages and maximums depending on the number of rooms or suites in their properties. Go to westbroadway.mb.ca/pip for info and an application.
I couldn’t fit many of the small but oh-so-important details in the space I have available. To find out if you meet all the eligibility criteria, go to the listed websites where you will find the pertinent and up-to-date information. There may be a lengthy waiting period but you do need to be approved before starting any work.
Anne Hawe is a community correspondent for the West End. She can be reached at annie_hawe@hotmail.com
Anne Hawe
West End community correspondent
Anne Hawe is a community correspondent for the West End. She can be reached at anniehawe1@protonmail.com
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
Anne Hawe
West End community correspondent
Anne Hawe is a community correspondent for the West End. She can be reached at anniehawe1@protonmail.com
Our newsroom depends on a growing audience of readers to power our journalism. If you are not a paid reader, please consider becoming a subscriber.
Our newsroom depends on its audience of readers to power our journalism. Thank you for your support.
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