Evelyn Cummings and her husband Charles have lived in the Fair Park neighborhood of Little Rock, raising their children in the tree shaded streets of modest bungalows on the eastern side of UALR. Now retired and living on a fixed income, the Cummings had no money to fix their leaking and dilapidated roof.

Enter the University District Development Corp. (UDDC). The improvement district initiated by UALR has secured funding from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas’ Special Needs Assistance Program (“SNAP”) grant to replace the roofs of eight homes in University District neighborhoods.

“We appreciate it more than we can say,” Evelyn Cummings said as workmen put the finishing touches on her new roof. “We love it. It’s very beautiful.”

Barrett Allen, UDDC community development program officer, learned of the SNAP program as a result of partnerships and ongoing communication with local member banks of the Federal Home Loan Bank, whose representatives conduct local annual workshops on new programs and changes.

Allen started applying for SNAP funding for University District homeowners in January. The UDDC quickly began getting the word out to its partners and heard from about 80 homeowners inquiring about the opportunity for rehabilitation on a critical need for their home.

“We got a great response from our neighborhood associations who mailed and e-mailed information on the SNAP grant, and many of the homeowners we heard from found out about it from their neighbors,” Allen said. Initial requests were overwhelming for roofs that have begun to deteriorate.

SNAP funds provide up to $5,000 toward minor repair costs for homeowners age 55 or older or those having a documented disability and income of 80 percent or below the median income for the area.

He has visited about 25 of the homes so far, completed the application for those who qualified, and worked with Bank of the Ozarks and Centennial Bank locally to submit the funding requests. Roofs on eight homes in the Broadmoor and Fair Park neighborhoods are being replaced this month.