The City of Ferndale has been awarded an incredible $380,000 in funding from the Oakland Livingston Human Services Agency (OLSHA) to assist seniors and low-income residents with home chores such as lawncare and snow removal.

The Oakland County Senior Chore Pilot Program, a $3-million-dollar grant program supported by Oakland County ARPA (American Rescue Plan Act) funding and administered by OLSHA, was established to provide chore services including lawnmowing, snow removal, yard cleanup, bush trimming, and gutter cleaning to older and low-income/disabled adults.

The announcement came after several rounds of applications and requests by staff from the City’s Community and Economic Development Department (CED). The first round earlier this year yielded an award of $30,000; OLHSA then opened two more rounds of funding, during which CED staff applied for and were granted an additional $50,000. Upon learning that additional funds remained, staff applied for and were awarded an additional $300,000, bringing the total to $380,000.

Previously, senior chores have been funded by the Community Development Block Grant (CDBG) program with heavily limited funds. CED Director Roger Caruso said that this new funding will help the City support many more seniors and in-need residents.

“My team and I audited our CDBG program and found that we simply can’t continue to serve as many residents as we have been,” Caruso said. “Right now, we serve about 25 seniors with snow removal and lawnmowing, at about $800-1,000 per household per year, and we only have a total of $13,000 annually for the program. This new funding will help us do a lot of good.”

The grant will allow staff to increase the number of clients the City is able to serve for the duration of the grant agreement, which will conclude on July 30, 2026. To be eligible, a resident must own or rent their own home and be:

• Over the age of 62 and living at or under 80% Oakland County AMI (Area Median Income), or

• Under the age of 62 with a disability and living at or under 80% Oakland Count AMI 

“This is an incredible opportunity; I just have to say thank you, thank you to staff for pushing to make this happen,” said Ferndale City Councilmember Donnie Johnson. “This will change people’s lives and allow us to do things that have real impact.”

Staff are working now to survey seniors about chore needs and create an application process for eligible residents. Please stay tuned to the City of Ferndale’s website and social media for next steps and information about how to participate.