UC Habitat For Humanity is relaunching a Critical Repairs Program to help struggling homeowners.
Habitat For Humanity Repair Service Coordinator Stacy Nash said the initiative will prioritize homeowners unable to cover repair costs on their own. Nash said the program will address issues such as roof leaks, floor damage, HVAC system malfunctions, and modifications for handicapped accessibility. Nash said this effort is not a handout but a hand-up.
“A lot of people are right there on the verge of either losing a home or they’re barely making ends meet and their homes are suffering,” Nash said. “And so, to be able to help our community sustain itself and to keep people in their homes and we need to be able to keep their homes safe.”
Nash said homeowners will be required to occupy the home for five years following the repairs, a condition that will be outlined in the contract. Nash also said owners must be up to date on mortgages and similar payments. Nash said the only eligibility requirement is that income must not exceed the average salary cap.
“For a one-person home in Putnam County, it would be a $30,616 limit. That would be the maximum, they would need to be under that,” Nash said. “For two persons it would be $35,000 for three persons $39,000. I mean there’s a lot of people in our area that do meet that.”
Nash said she observed homes throughout the county suffering from a range of damages. Nash said the program will be for Putnam, Overton, White, and soon to be DeKalb county. Nash said, however, any requests for cosmetic upgrades or decoration will not be approved, as the focus of the program is strictly on repairs that improve livability.
“A lot of people would think, hey well I can’t afford to do it but I need to do it you know,” Nash said. “Even if the paint was discolored or you had a leak previously and then it discolored something, we couldn’t even come in and do it then, we can only fix something if it’s included in the actual part that we’re repairing.”
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