Choices are hard. I talk with many homeowners who can't decide between marble or porcelain tile, or granite and composite countertops. But for some families the choices are even harder: like paying bills on time or buying food. And, if they are paying the mortgage and just getting by, they don't have the "extra" money to fix up the house.
I'm not talking about expensive upgrades here -- I'm talking about necessary repairs that don't get done because families can't afford them. They can't pay for roof shingles, let alone a roofer to do the job. And you know what's going to happen pretty soon if a leaky roof isn't fixed. You'll have mould, rot, interior damage that will eventually ruin the house -- and that family's investment.
When a family falls on hard times, and if they slide too far, there's no saving the house -- it costs a lot more to bring it back. And, the homeowners feel shame that their home is getting run down and falling into disrepair, but there's nothing they are able to do about it. They have no money, and aren't able to do it themselves.
I get a lot of emails from people in need of help. Most are just average homeowners caught in a bad renovation and trying to find help to make it right. But a lot of those emails are from desperate people looking for a way to save their homes. Their lives are difficult -- maybe they're unemployed, elderly or disabled -- and they are just not able to look after their houses. They don't know where to turn.
You know of Habitat for Humanity as a community organization that builds houses for people in need -- they build a new house every 24 minutes, in 100 countries around the world. Habitat believes everyone should have a safe and decent place to live. So they build affordable housing, and promote home ownership as a way to break the cycle of poverty. Those are great values that I support.
Habitat ReNew It is a new program, being piloted in Acton, Ont., and will be available across Canada. It helps low-income homeowners live independently and safely in their own homes, and keeps up the house so it stays in good repair.
The scope of jobs they take on is smaller than what you'd normally think of a Habitat project -- it's not an entire new house built from the ground up. They'll take on exterior painting and cleanup, landscaping and brush removal, some minor repairs. They'll fix plumbing, roofs, eavestroughs and gutters, painting, caulking and weatherproofing. They'll even do accessibility conversions -- like adding wheelchair ramps or refitting kitchens and bathrooms.
The focus is on safety, independent living and energy efficiency. These are not lipstick and mascara projects -- they are simple renovations for families in need.
The goal is to help low-income homeowners restore their homes. Everyone should have a safe home and a home they can be proud of. It doesn't have to be big, or fancy, just a decent place to raise a family.
Homeowners contribute their "sweat equity," and have to be on site, working with the volunteers to fix up their houses. It's not a handout -- it's a hand up. ReNew It projects are based on interest-free loans, and the homeowners repay through a schedule based on their means and ability to pay.
Homeowners have to be in financial need. Habitat does an assessment to see if people qualify, and they have to be staying in the home for at least the next three years -- Habitat's not going to flip your house for you.
With the help of the ReNew It program, homeowners can take back the pride in their homes, make them safe for their families, and keep living independently in them.
For more information on home renovations go to makeitright.ca.
-- Canwest News Service
