Dearborn Code Enforcement Manager Renault Arseneau said the city has received more applications than expected for its Front Porch and Step Rehabilitation Program for homeowners, which is funded by federal Community Development Block Grants and the City Council.

There have been about 1,300 applications since the program’s launch at the beginning of this month. The amount of funding available and applicants selected will depend on the severity and types of fixes needed, he said. 

Economic Development inspectors and government officials noticed and heard from residents that front porches are a problem and started working on the project a year ago, Arseneau said. 

“It’s the mayor’s initiative that (City) Council supported,” he said. “The Economic Development team is accepting the applications, reviewing them and working with city contractors to get the work done through permits and inspections. The residents will not be responsible for any of that. We’ll handle the inspections. We’ll make sure that it’s done up to code. This (program) is one of a kind. I don’t know any other city that’s doing anything like this free of charge.”

He also said the city’s Economic Development team hopes to sort through the applications by winter, start property inspections in early 2025 and start completing renovations in the spring. 

“It’s all going to be dependent on what we see when we do our inspections because we don’t really know what we’ve got until we start getting into the meat and potatoes of the actual applications. The objective is to get the worst of the worst looked at.”

He said porches with holes or damages to the steps or cracks will be prioritized.

Dearborn launches new program to help homeowners rehabilitate, repair, or replace damaged or deteriorating porches and outdoor steps

“We’re trying to get the most extreme and most dangerous done for people right away,” he said. “If we get more funding, we can move to some of those other numbers that aren’t necessarily dangerous, but definitely have curb appeal issues or have some damage that’s not extreme where you’re going to hurt yourself if you’re the mail carrier or a person walking up the front porch.” 

Properties eligible for the initiative need to be single-family, owner occupied for at least one year, freely accessible for inspection and up-to-date on property taxes, utilities, water bills and insurance. Properties may not have PBCs or other materials that are handled differently than “normal demolition and replacement process,” the program announcement on the city’s website said.

The program does not require a matched fund and has no income requirements, differentiating it from many other city initiatives, Arseneau said.

The city’s online announcement said the program does not cover deck replacement; wooden structures qualify for the program, but will be replaced with concrete. 

Dearborn’s Economic Development inspection teams will assess accommodations for homes requiring ADA compliant barrier-free access on a case-by-case basis, the announcement said.

Arseneau estimated the city will choose 25-40 properties to renovate depending on the types and severity of renovations. He said it’s possible for the city to expand on the project and choose more recipients once it completes a first round of renovations.  

Arseneau said applications will take time to go through and asked applicants to be patient with the city throughout the process. He said questions can be directed to the city’s response center (313)-943-2150.

“If you don’t hear from us, that doesn’t mean you’re not being considered or you haven’t been looked at,” he said.

Applications can be found at Dearborn.gov and are open until the end of October. 

“A front porch is more than just an entryway to a home,” Dearborn Mayor Abdullah Hammoud said in the announcement on the city’s website. “For many Dearborn families, it’s quintessential to their experience as part of a thriving community. A safe and strong porch is a place where we sit and take in the sights and sounds of our neighborhood and engage in conversations. I encourage those looking for assistance repairing or replacing that crumbling concrete or rotting wood porch or steps to apply for this special program with the city.”