SARANAC LAKE — There’s a new fund for groups of village homeowners to make exterior improvements to their houses with a 50% match from the Saranac Lake Local Development Corporation.

The “Fixer-Upper Fund” is a reimbursement-based grant program where groups of neighbors can band together to get half of their construction costs covered.

“We’re just hoping to be able to improve the village a few properties at a time,” SLLDC CEO Charlotte Lomino said.

SLLDC board member Jeremy Evans said this is modeled after the Renaissance Block Challenge in Jamestown and Oswego, which has a reputation for success. Village Trustee Kelly Brunette, who lived in Oswego, brought the idea to Saranac Lake.

Projects can be for aesthetic and functional upgrades — things like brickwork, windows, roofs, siding, decks, lighting, ADA accessibility or landscaping. Architectural or engineering studies are applicable, too.

There is a required minimum of three owners for each application to increase the impact of each grant. Evans said applicants should all live on the same block, within eyeshot of each other. Lomino said in today’s society, it’s important to engage with neighbors and they’re hoping this collaborative effort to improve homes will bring neighbors closer together.

The SLLDC will start accepting and reviewing applications today.

To apply, go to https://forms.gle/fbRZ1DRWzytrY2T87.

This is a reimbursement-based grant, so homeowners will need to contract any pay for the work and materials, and then SLLDC will pay back their half after the work is done. A cash advance will be considered on a case-by-case basis. Property owners can also get reimbursed for the materials and do the work themselves.

“One of the great outcomes of this type of program is that it matches local neighborhood investment,” Evans said. “In other words, for every dollar neighbors contribute to improving their properties and the neighborhood, we are matching it. So a $5,000 investment by homeowners will result in a total $10,000 investment in the neighborhood.”

“Applicants are encouraged to apply early, as funding is limited,” Lomino said.

They are starting with $5,000 in the fund.

Lomino, a former structural engineer, walks through the village a lot and sees many properties that could use upgrades — siding past its lifespan, a roof past its prime, a retaining wall that’s falling down.

“Roof leaks are probably the number-one reason for the structure of a house to start to deteriorate,” she said.

She’s hoping this will allow people to take pride in their neighborhood.

Fixer-upper grants can be for a maximum of $15,000. Obviously, the fund doesn’t have that much now, but they’re hoping to grow it.

A grant from the Cloudsplitter Foundation kicked off this program. Lomino said that if they can show this program is producing successes, it will become easier to get more grant money for it.

“We are hoping for strong interest from the community because that will help us make a stronger case for seeking additional funding,” Lomino said.

She also said people can donate to the Fixer-Upper Fund by donating to the nonprofit SLLDC and including the fund in the memo line.

Applications will be merit-based, so applicants should convey the importance to get higher consideration. Projects will be scored on visual impact, readiness and quality of life improvements.