Butler Redevelopment Authority officials on Thursday said they are having difficulty finding enough contractors to perform grant-funded home renovation projects.

The authority administers the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development's HOME program that provides grants to income-qualifying homeowners who want to improve their houses.

Recent advertisements from the authority for contractors to do the work haven't resulted in finding enough contractors, said Veronica Walker, acting executive director and operations manager for the authority.

“The work is there. We just need the general contractors to do the work,” Walker said.

She told board members that she had to readvertise for contractors to work on three homes after none responded to the first ad. Those projects will be advertised a third time if necessary.

The authority has contracts with contractors to work on two other homes, Walker said.

Three other homes have been inspected, but ads for contractors' bids haven't been posted yet, and an income review is under way for another home, she said.

Rehabilitation inspector Arthur Cordwell said HUD regulations limit the cost of renovations to 95 percent of the sale price of a home.

Contractors are required to have insurance to obtain a contract, Walker said. If lead-based paint has to be removed in a renovation project, the contractor must be certified to remove it, she said.

Renovation projects to fix code violations and removal of health and safety hazards qualify for HOME grants, she said.