The Carbon County Board of Commissioners opened bids Thursday for five home rehabilitation program projects in the county. This program helps low-income residents fix problems at their home.

The recipients, who remain anonymous as part of the program's process, can receive up to $12,000 in funding through Act 137, which is generated through fees charged for the recording of documents in the Carbon County Recorder of Deeds office.Those funds are used to repair necessary items in residents' homes such as heating systems, roofing, siding, or electrical and plumbing systems.This year's bids ranged from $4,092 to $48,890. Contracts will either be awarded or rejected at the July 7 commissioners' meeting.The home rehab projects can consist of a number of items and that if the project bids come in over the $12,000 they are allotted, then the homeowners can either pay the difference or change the scope of work to be completed.A requirement to be eligible is that the person must own the home and live in it; or if in the event of a trailer, must own the property on which the trailer is located.The commissioners have said the county does this program as a way to help the residents in need.The program started in 2000, after county Recorder of Deeds Emmett McCall implemented fees on all property transfers in the county, per state approval.Since then, the fees have generated millions for housing rehabilitation projects and administration costs.The county tries to help as many homeowners as it can in a year through this program, but the waiting list continues to grow.There are income guidelines families must meet to be eligible for the program.The program is free, as long as the homeowner does not sell the house within three years of the rehabilitation project. If they do, then they must repay the county the cost of the project.For more information on eligibility requirements, people can call the Carbon County Office of Planning and Development at 570-325-3671 or go to

http://bit.ly/295dZxF.The office can be reached from 8:30 a.m. to 4:30 p.m. Monday through Friday.