Habitat for Humanity’s Lapeer-Tuscola office is once again helping Huron County residents with the housing crisis.
For the eighth consecutive year, the nonprofit, with the help of Bay Port State Bank, is offering its Critical Home Repair Grant Program of up to $7,500, providing Huron County residents with repairs to homes in critical condition to make them livable close.
“This helps fulfill our core mission,” said John Kulczyckyj, Critical Home Repair coordinator. “We want to keep the community together and stable and help keep people in their homes.”
Applications for the scholarship program are open to all residents of Huron, Tuscola, and Lapeer counties, but must qualify by income and family size.
The grant covers repairs such as roofs, windows, stoves, hot water tanks, plumbing, well and septic tanks and doors.
Huron County residents who wish to apply must own the property to be repaired and also attend one of the two sessions on the program. The first takes place on January 31 from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. in the Taubenbibliothek and the second on February 2 at the Franklin Inn in Bad Axe from 10:30 a.m. to 12:30 p.m. Residents can learn how the program works and get more information on how to get involved.
Tuscola County residents seeking additional information may attend one of two meetings on January 25 from 5:30 p.m. to 7:30 p.m. or January 30 from 10:30 a.m. at the Caro Habitat for Humanity Restore at 1521 W. Caro Join Rd 12:30 p.m
Habitat for Humanity has used the program to repair 50 to 60 homes in the three boroughs. The program is a multi-month process designed for homes in critical condition, with award winners selected in late April and early May. Local area contractors will help complete the repairs once approved for the grant.
“We want to help where we can,” said Carolyn Nestor, general manager of the Lapeer Tuscola office.
Over the past seven years of the program, the nonprofit has helped hundreds of people and has helped repair 15 homes over the past three years of the Huron County program. The organization does not receive a penny from the program as the money goes to the local contractors who help with the repairs.
“People have to deal with a lot of things and sometimes they just don’t have the ability to save,” Nestor said. “When it’s finished, (residents) will be so relieved. You can breathe again. It really revolutionizes her life.”
To apply, residents must submit a variety of official documents, including home deeds, bank statements, state tax information, and Social Security contributions. During the meetings, Habitat employees help residents with the application process.
“We want to help keep people in their homes and make the community great and safe,” Kulczykyj said.
Residents with questions about the meetings and any other information can contact the Lapeer Tuscola office at 810-664-7111 or through their Facebook page.
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