(COLON) – The Village of Colon has been awarded a grant from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority.

Colon Village Manager Patricia Rayl says they received funding in the fourth round of MSHDA's Neighborhood Enhancements Program, and are now looking for home owners interested in exterior mobility or energy efficiency improvements. She says they have money available to help a home owner build a handicapped ramp to their porch, or replace drafty
windows or doors.

The total grant was $9,500, half of which will go to the mobility or energy efficiency home improvements. This round of grant funds is limited to homes in the neighborhood of Catherine and North Swan Streets. The improvements are provided at no cost to the home owner.

Rayl says home owners have to meet an income limit. She says for a single person living in their home, they can't make more that $49,320. For a family of four, the total household income has to be less than $70,440. There is no application fee. Rayl says a person just needs to fill out some paperwork and verify that their household income meets the limits for this MSHDA grant.

The grant also requires that the home owner agree to a free home energy audit provided by Consumers Energy at no cost.

Also included in the grant was funding for a safety improvement project to repair and replace a retaining wall near the Colon Police Station. MSHDA wants all grant projects completed by December 31.

For more information, you can contact Rayl at the Colon Village Office at 269-432-2532.