BROKEN ARROW, Okla. — Broken Arrow homeowners who are facing repairs that could force them out of their homes, and don't make much money, may find help at City Hall.
"I knew that the water main from the meter to my house had burst. I just couldn't find it," said Tim Siegel, a longtime Broken Arrow resident.
It was last October when Tim Siegel found geysers of water in his front yard.
"Running all down the street," Siegel exclaimed. "I was - I've just paid for 3 swimming pools all down the street. I was terrified!"
He shut off the water and immediately began digging for the broken pipe.
"And of course it's 3 feet down and I'm equipped with a shovel and one leg," Siegel said.
An amputee with a traumatic brain injury from an accident on the job, Siegel still spent weeks digging. With major medical bills and no work, he could not afford to hire a plumber. His neighbor helped by letting Siegel fill buckets with water so he could flush the toilets in his home. However, after weeks of work, and no success in finding the broken line, he moved out of his home to stay with family in Tulsa. Then heard about the city of Broken Arrow's Homeowner Emergency Repair Assistance Program and immediately applied online. While it took him a few days to gather the paperwork necessary, he said the city contacted him within a day of completing the application.
"That's really the spirit of this program. It is to help mitigate the issues that might displace you from your home," said Grant Rissler, Licensing, Permitting and Sustainability Manager for the City of Broken Arrow.
Rissler oversees the pilot program and its $70,000 dollars from HUD community development block grants the city approved to help low to middle income residents. Currently, they are processing more than 50 applications.
"I've got contractors in and out of the field. Different types of contractors," Rissler added. "I have inspectors going out on properties to take a look at the issues. So at any given time there might be half a dozen to a dozen of these juggled around at the same time."
To qualify, the emergency repairs must cover something that poses an immediate threat to the health and safety of the person who owns the home and lives there. Homeowners must also meed HUD income guidelines.
Eligible repairs include:
electrical system
plumbing system (water or sewer)
hot water tank replacement
furnace repair/replacement
heating/air systems
Gas line
Structural (roof, windows, doors)
The program has provided funds and crews to repair Siegel's water line, tree roots backing up a sewer line, and ducts ripped up by raccoons to name just a few of the projects. Siegel says he was thrilled to having running water again... and be able to return to his home.
"If you're a homeowner and you're strapped, you got an emergency, hit 'em up," Siegel said. "They're on it! I'm really happy about that."
He was also thrilled that the plumbers the city hired to repair the broken water line to his home saved the tree he planted when his son was born 20 years ago.
For more information on the Broken Arrow Homeowner Emergency Repair Assistance Program, pick up a brochure at City Hall at 220 S. 1st St. Broken Arrow.
Call 918-259-2400 ext. 5337, or go online to www.brokenarrowok.gov/homerepair [brokenarrowok.gov]
Stay in touch with us anytime, anywhere --
- Download our free app for Apple, Android and Kindle devices.
- Sign up for daily newsletters emailed to you
- Like us on Facebook
- Follow us on Instagram
- Follow us on Twitter
