Good NestingYou may not need a new home from Habitat for Humanity. Your existing home may need some improvements, however.
Does Habitat for Humanity help repair existing homes? You bet they do, and they may even help you improve the exterior of your home cosmetically too.
While the home preservation programs may differ according to location, we’ll take a look at a couple of examples from Palm Beach County, Florida, in this article to give you an idea of what’s out there.
At the end, we’ll include a link so that you can find your nearest Habitat for Humanity to see which similar programs they have available.
Habitat for Humanity’s Critical Home Repair Program
Home repairs can be extremely costly. If your family’s income is low and you can barely pay your bills, you may not have the resources to get the repairs you need.
Are all repairs created equal? No, as some are more cosmetic while others can be necessities due to safety concerns. To address the latter, the Critical Home Repair program can help fix your home in Palm Beach County by offering up to $10,000 in funding.
If you need accessibility improvements to your home, Critical Home Repair can provide what’s required so you can move around with ease.
And if you have serious code violations or safety issues that are putting your family at risk, the program can lend a helping hand there too.
To qualify for this home repair program, you must own and occupy the home. Your income must be less than 80 percent of the median income in your area. You must also provide eight hours of “sweat equity” to help with the actual repairs, depending on the work.
Is the Critical Home Repair Program free? No, as you’ll be expected to pay back the money based on your income and other factors.
Critical Home Repair is not considered to be an emergency program. Applications are accepted every quarter in January, April, July, and October. There will also be a waiting period before the repairs can begin.
A Brush With Kindness
Could your home need an exterior facelift? Having one could make it more pleasant to live in, and it could boost its value should you want to sell it eventually. With Habitat for Humanity’s A Brush with Kindness program, you can achieve this goal.
Should you qualify for the program, you could get up to $5,000 to cosmetically improve your home’s exterior. Qualifications for this program are similar to those for Critical Home Repair, as is the quarterly application schedule. Contact your local office, and they should be able to point you in the right direction.
Good Nesting