Saginaw Habitat for Humanity
Home Repair and Neighborhood Improvement Program

  HOME REPAIR PROGRAM (HRP)

Purposes: 

To do home repairs with qualified partner homeowners to make their homes decent and affordable places to live. 

To increase access for qualified Saginaw County residents to decent, affordable housing.     

To conduct volunteer neighborhood beautification projects that enhance the livability of targeted areas.  (Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP))

Saginaw Habitat for Humanity will operate a home repair program as part of its affordable housing program.   The HRP will give approved County homeowners the opportunity to obtain low cost repairs to their home, with low cost financing, so that their current home becomes (remains) a decent and affordable place to live.

One key element of the Home Repair Program is the requirement that selected home owners financially participate in the cost of the repairs, and they must perform sweat equity.

Additionally, the Affiliate will from time to time facilitate projects in selected neighborhoods to improve the appearance and livability of homes, yards, and playgrounds. This effort will be known as the Neighborhood Improvement Program (NIP). These projects will be done with minimal expense, with a substantial percentage of volunteers recruited from the neighborhood.  Activities would be labor intensive and short in duration (a weekend, for example) and limited to work on exteriors. The NIP serves as a low cost way to improve the appearance and livability of the neighborhood.  The program is done with donated or low cost materials and volunteers, including residents of the neighborhood.  It may be a weekend home painting project, neighborhood clean up, landscaping or other low cost, labor intensive activities.

The following defines the parameters of the HRP:

1. The HRP will provide repairs to owner occupied homes only.
2. The cost of estimated materials for repairs will be not exceed 10 % of the SEV of the home
3. The home owner and family will provide sweat equity to the project as determined by the HRP.  A minimum of 5 hours of sweat equity must be perfomed  prior to commencement of the job.
4. The HRP will provide volunteer labor
5. The homeowner will provide materials and pay the value (cost) of professional contractors.
6. Habitat for Humanity may provide no interest loans to finance projects.

Saginaw Habitat for Humanity will not build new additions.  All work is done to Habitat standards where the goal is simple, decent, and affordable housing.  The scope of work performed will be carefully reviewed by the Home Repair Committee.   Projects may consist of helping disabled homeowners with home modifications such as building ramps, installing grab bars, or weatherizing a home by installing new windows, caulking, and insulation.   Other projects could include electrical and plumbing repairs, selected roofing projects, landscaping (drainage) alterations.

The profile of a family in need of home repair from Saginaw Habitat is expected to be:

• Elderly and/or with physical limitations.
• Low income and can’t afford repairs through conventional means.  
• Unable or unwilling to relocate

Qualifying for the HRP:

1. The homeowner must have lived in the home for at least 5 consecutive years immediately prior to the commencement of the project.
2. The homeowners must meet income levels (30-60% median income) set by the program and agree to provide information about the household income. Income will be verified with Income Tax forms, pay stubs and other proof as required.
3. The homeowner must produce evidence that any projects are affordable.  Credit checks and household expenses will be examined to assure that no more than 21% of household income is used for housing, including repayment of any project loan or project costs.
4. The homeowner must agree to sweat equity  requirements  (1 hour for each $40 of estimated project cost)
5. The homeowner must have, and maintain, homeowner insurance
6. The home must have sufficient equity to be used as collateral when projects need to be financed.
7. Property taxes must be current

Construction Planning/Execution:

• Projects will be chosen that match our available volunteer skill base.
• Project limitation: The maximum materials cost for a  project is $5,000.00   Project materials costing less than $500 can not be financed.   We may choose not to perform minor repairs that can be done by homeowners
• We do not do appliance repair
• Each project will have a Project coordinator (staff or an approved volunteer.).
• The sweat equity requirement will take into account the ages and physical abilities of the family.
• Each work day will be viewed as a regular Habitat work day:  devotions, introductions, description of project goals, and safety instructions in order to build a team atmosphere.
• Projects will be done in priority order, not in chronological order.  Repairs affecting health and safety are high priority, while window repairs may be low priority.

Brochure

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