LINCOLN, Neb. (KLKN) – Habitat for Humanity of Lincoln has announced a new program to help fix up low-income homes.
Applicants can receive a zero-interest loan to pay for repairs to things like leaky roofs; water heaters; windows; heating, ventilation and air conditioning systems; and even wheelchair ramps.
Deanna Walz, the director of development, said that while Habitat builds many houses, this program is all about keeping people safe and comfortable in existing homes.
“There’s only so much land in the world,” she said. “There are a lot of great homes in the city of Lincoln where people have lived where they have really developed roots in their neighborhoods. So, we want to help them live where they’re living.”
Habitat for Humanity will coordinate the loan and the repair, using a mix of subcontractors and volunteers to do the work.
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To qualify, homeowners must make between 30% to 80% of the area’s median income and be living in the home.
The program is available to anyone in Lancaster County, not just Habitat for Humanity homeowners.
“I think so many people are going to be interested in this program,” Walz said. “This is a great way to pay for those repairs that just seem insurmountable, and then you can still be able to live in the home that you’ve created memories in.”
Walz said the program has already helped people, including a widow who needed help with roof repairs.
“Her husband always took care of the bills, took care of the insurance, and when he got ill, that lapsed,” she said, “The cost was insurmountable for her.”
Walz said the program is not for emergency fixes, but long-term, scheduled projects.