LUDLOW, Maine — Some say the electric feeling of buying and moving into your own home never wears off. When you own the floors you’re standing on, the walls surrounding you and the roof over your head, you also own great satisfaction from the hard work that resulted in your home becoming yours. This is true for Maine families and seniors alike.
Yet, just as it was hard work to achieve the “American Dream” of homeownership, being responsible for maintaining and, inevitably, repairing your own home can be just as much hard work. And with Maine having one of the oldest housing stocks in the country, according to a recent report commissioned by the Maine Housing Coalition, finding the financial resources to make much-needed improvements can be daunting. Not making the repairs can be even more costly in the long run — an inefficient heating system, drafty windows, a leaky roof — all can add up to many extra dollars out of pocket during the long cold heating season. With 47 percent of Mainers (Corporation for Enterprise Development -Assets and Opportunity Network) having almost no savings to fall back on, and many senior homeowners living on fixed incomes, this is money many just don’t have to spend.
Fortunately, USDA Rural Development’s Home Repair Program is an affordable way to help keep homes safe, accessible and energy efficient. The program provides very-low income rural homeowners with a one percent-interest fixed-rate loan of up to $20,000 for essential things like leaky roof repairs, improving accessibility, or even upgrades to heating and cooling systems to make a home more energy efficient. Seniors age 62 and older, who cannot qualify for a loan, may be eligible for a grant of up to $7,500, or a loan and grant combination to make needed repairs and improvements.
A couple from Ludlow, Irvin and Rhonda Stevens contacted the Presque Isle area office for assistance to install a chairlift in their home. Irvin Stevens was unable to climb the stairs to access the second floor of their home where the bedroom and bathroom are located. With the assistance of a 504 grant from Rural Development, the installation of a chairlift has made the second floor of their home accessible for him.
Since fiscal year 2008, 1,446 Maine rural homeowners were able to make necessary improvements to their homes that they did not realize they could afford to do through the USDA Rural Development 504 Home Repair Program. Some installed new smoke and carbon monoxide detectors or replaced old insulation. Some widened doors and added ramps. More importantly, these Mainers renewed the pride they felt the day they bought and moved into their own home.
Being a homeowner is hard work and a big responsibility, but Maine people have a partner in USDA Rural Development. USDA Rural Development wants to keep rural Maine homes safe, accessible and energy efficient. We also want to help homeowners preserve the pride in their homes. To learn more, Maine homeowners can visit www.rd.usda.me or call (207) 764-4157 ext. 4.
