Home Improvement Program
Longfellow Community Council provides rebates of 80 percent of cost for home improvement projects up to $5,000.
Longfellow Community Council provides rebates of 80 percent of cost for home improvement projects up to $5,000.
The Longfellow Community Council (LCC) has made available $91,712 in Neighborhood Revitalization Program funds to be used for home improvement rebates. LCC represents the Greater Longfellow neighborhoods of Longfellow, Cooper, Howe and Hiawatha. Homeowners of these neighborhoods are eligible to apply to this support program. Selected homeowners will be rebated 80% of their home improvement costs up to $5,000. The minimum request for rebate assistance will be $2,500. This program will be available until December 31, 2024 or until funds are exhausted. Upon exhaustion of these funds, the Board of LCC may consider re-funding or continuing the program.
The purpose of this program is to encourage residents to improve their home and the community and to support our neighbors who need the most assistance in this effort.
Eligible applicants are owner-occupants of townhouses, condominiums, single family homes and owner occupied units of mixed use and multi-family housing buildings found in the four neighborhoods of Greater Longfellow listed above.
Rental and commercial property owners are not eligible to apply for these funds. LCC staff will verify proof of owner occupancy with city and county records.
The following income limits are set for applicants:
Applicants may apply for one 80% (up to $5,000) home improvement rebate. Multiple improvements can be covered in the submission of one application. Home improvement rebates are issued on a first-come/first served basis, based on LCC’s receipt of the applicant’s signed Participation Agreement.
Work cannot be performed before approval is granted by LCC. Approval will be confirmed by LCC staff within four weeks of receipt of the application. After the application is approved, the applicant must sign and return the program’s Participation Agreement. LCC will alert the applicant once it receives the Participation Agreement and work can begin. Rebates are not retroactive and work performed before LCC’s approval is not eligible for rebate.
A number of documents are required during the application process and following the projects’ completion. Those documents are mentioned in Part 5 and listed in the application and the final report. Rebate checks will not be issued until all documents are accounted for by LCC.
Once an application is approved, the applicant has six months to complete the project. If the project is not completed in that time, the rebate approval is forfeited. If the homeowner requests an extension in advance of the deadline, they may be granted one, six-month extension.
Applicants are required, in good faith, to live in the home for five years after the rebate is issued.
Eligible improvements – rebates can be applied toward the permitting, design, materials, and licensed labor costs associated with the following improvements:
Applicants are encouraged to use environmentally friendly products and practices in their home improvement projects like low VOC paint, low flow plumbing fixtures, and energy efficient HVAC systems.
Ineligible improvements
The following items are not eligible for a home improvement rebate:
Step One: Contact Longfellow Community Council to discuss your project if you have any questions if needed.
Step Two: Submit the application including proof of ownership, a copy of a licensed contractor bid for all work to be completed, copies of the selected contractors’ Minneapolis licenses, before photos, and architectural rendering (if applicable).
Step Three: Receive application approval and submit the signed Participant Agreement.
Step Four: Complete the project within six months of approval. If the project is not completed during this timeframe, the rebate may be forfeited. If requested before the deadline a homeowner may be granted one, six-month extension.
Step Five: Upon completion of the work, submit a final report. The following documents are required to be included with your final report: after photos, proof of payment to contractors, receipts for materials if applicable, and a copy of the permits with final inspection signatures. These need to be submitted in one email to Longfellow Community Council.
Step Six: A 80% rebate (up to $5,000) will be issued to the applicant within 30 days of LCC’s receipt of the post-application and supporting documents.