YOUNGSTOWN — The city’s board of control will vote today on changes to three housing programs, funded through American Rescue Plan dollars, to raise the maximum amounts available for applicants and add more allowable expenses.

The changes are to the $5 million At Home in Youngstown, the $3 million Residential Facade Program and the $2 million Landlord Residential Facade Program.

When Jamael Tito Brown was mayor, he implemented a number of housing programs, including these three.

Under Mayor Derrick McDowell, who has held the office since Jan. 1, the city will change the policies for the three programs.

City officials called a news conference two weeks ago to announce the changes and then subsequently canceled it, citing “unforeseen circumstances,” and said a new date would be announced. But the board of control, of which McDowell is chairman, will move ahead today with votes on the changes.

The board’s two other members are Finance Director Kyle Miasek and Law Director Adam Buente.

The changes are sponsored by DeMaine Kitchen, the community planning and economic development director.

Kitchen couldn’t be reached Wednesday to comment. But Kitchen outlined the changes in correspondence to the board of control.

The At Home in Youngstown program, administered by Huntington Bank, includes a maximum of $10,000 for down payments and closing costs and an additional $15,000 limit for energy-efficient upgrades to windows, furnaces and hot water tanks after a house is purchased.

The changes would increase the energy-efficient grants from $15,000 to $25,000, update eligibility to allow applicants who have owned a home within the past 12 months to apply, include city-approved mortgage companies and brokers as eligible lenders, and add roof replacement and/or repair as an allowable expense.

During Brown’s administration, the city allocated $3 million for roof replacements through ARP funding.

In a letter to the board, Kitchen wrote, “These amendments are intended to expand access to the program, providing more residents with the opportunity to become homeowners. By including additional lenders, participants gain greater financing flexibility. Increasing the maximum assistance and allowing critical repairs such as roofs ensure homes are safe, energy-efficient and well-maintained, promoting long-term neighborhood stability and investment.”

The Residential Facade Program initially provided 1% interest loans of up to $10,000 for five years or a dollar-for-dollar match up to $10,000 to qualifying homeowners in the city to improve and update the exterior of their homes and address any cited or potential code violations.

The changes being voted on today would raise the maximum amount to $20,000, permit participating residents to use the program’s loan option to finance required matching funds, and include roof replacement as an allowable expense.

Kitchen wrote in a letter to the board, “These revisions are intended to enhance the program’s effectiveness, address current construction costs and expand the ability of residents to participate in property improvement efforts.”

The Landlord Revolving Loan Fund initially allowed property owners to borrow up to $50,000 per single-family property and up to $100,000 for multi-unit houses at 2% interest for up to five years. The money allows landlords to make renovations, repairs and/or address housing code violations. The program requires landlords to maintain the property for five years and not increase rent to current tenants during the same time frame. A sale would require landlords to repay loans immediately.

The changes would increase funding per applicant to $250,000, add a matching fund component to require a dollar-for-dollar match, and expand property coverage to allow the program to address more rental properties.

Kitchen wrote in a letter to the board of control, “These amendments are designed to enhance program effectiveness, promote property improvements and support neighborhood revitalization efforts.”