Most LWers eligible for free grant remodel program

BATHROOM ACCESSIBILITY

Leisure World residents who have trouble stepping into the shower for any reason are likely eligible for a free bathroom upgrade.

HUD has increased the income limits for the LW bathroom grant program, so more people qualify and their is double the funding to help for the next six weeks.

“Nearly everyone who has completed an application has gotten the $4K-plus improvements on their bathrooms for free,” said Monique Miner of CivicStone, the company that the City of Seal Beach employs to administer the grant program. To qualify, resident households must meet certain guidelines. Savings do not disqualify you. All applicants must be over 55 years of age and have a gross annual household income less than or equal to new income limits, which allow for a maximum gross annual income of $80,400 for a one-person household; $91,850 for a two-person household and $103,350 for a three-person household.

CivicStone has also added electronic signing to the process to aid ease of application.

For nearly two decades, the City of Seal Beach has run the Seal Beach Bathroom Accessibility Program to help residents of Leisure World modify their bathrooms making them easier for seniors to use.

The units in Leisure World were built in the 1960s, before ADA regulations were established. As a result, the fiberglass tub/shower combinations can be a challenge for seniors to use. The funding from the County of Orange and HUD is used to modify these fiberglass units to make them more accessible to the residents for free.

How is it done? The side wall of the existing fiberglass tubs are cut to just a few inches from the floor. The tubs are then refinished with a new coat of fiberglass to look like new, and a custom glass shower door is installed. The process converts the tub/shower combination into a functioning shower. The grant funds can also be used to build an in-shower bench, add grab bars and/or replace an existing toilet with a high-boy toilet.

The bathroom improvement process is coordinated by CivicStone ( www.civicstone. com), a company hired by the City of Seal Beach to review all applications and manage the construction improvements with the approved contractors. Once approved for the program and scheduled for work, the improvements usually take less than a week to complete.

Applications are currently being accepted and are available online at https://www.civicstone. com and from the City of Seal Beach’s website.

For more information, email monique@civicstone.com or call 909-364-9000.