News Talk 94.1/AM 1600 Where The Upper Cumberland Talks
Pickett County will try to address housing issues as the county set to apply for grant money from the Tennessee Housing Development Agency.
Pickett County Executive Stephen Bilbrey said the grant is worth some $750,000 and does not require a match. Bilbrey said the grant would be a big help to county residents.
“The state will come up and look at those applications and look at the homes people are turning in on and you know hopefully build two or three new homes and maybe renovate or modernize some homes,” Bilbrey said. “If we can get the grant they’ll try to spend all of that $750,000 in Pickett County.”
Bilbrey said the county last received the grant in 2009. Bilbrey said he is hopeful this year will be different.
“Since I’ve been back in office and the county commission we got now they have applied for that for the last two years and not been approved,” Bilbrey said. “So we are just going to apply for it again and hopefully the third will be a charm.”
Bilbrey said most of the housing issues in Pickett County are outdated houses.
“Of course it’s like any community I mean there are houses and there are people who are in need of housing updates,” Bilbrey said. “With the cost of everything going up, it’s just tough on being able to do that.”
Bilbrey said the county will have to turn the application in before the end of February. Bilbrey said the grant is a quick turnaround as the past two years they have heard back from THDA during July.
