Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex is launching a new home repair program in an effort to maintain and restore affordable housing in the city.
The organization received a $272,400 grant from the Ontario Trillium Foundation to purchase a new van to house home repair tools and hire a repair program facilitator for two years.
To launch the program, Habitat for Humanity has prioritized working with Windsor Essex Community Housing to restore the affordable housing stock in the region.
"We know that across this city there is affordable housing stock that is ready for families that just needs a little bit of TLC," said Fiona Coughlin, executive director and CEO of Habitat for Humanity Windsor-Essex. "We want to be that Habitat TLC that gets it ready to welcome families."
Windsor Essex Community Housing Corporation has around 60 units in its current housing stock that cannot be filled due to needed repairs.
"They're providing community support in repairing the units, they're reasonably cost. It means that we have the resources to conduct these repairs quicker than we would have been able to and get families into these empty units," said Cynthia Summers CEO of Windsor-Essex Community Housing Corporation.
The repair program is a fee-for-service program. Habitat bids on the projects like any other contractor could.
Habitat is actively looking to fill the position of repair program facilitator.
"This role requires a unique combination of expertise in residential home maintenance and a passion for working with and training volunteers, students, and residents. We are looking for someone who will play a vital role in our Repair Program, empowering individuals and communities to create lasting change through their skills and knowledge," said Coughlin.
Once that person is found Habitat will open an application program to the public. It would be used by families who could lose their housing because of needed repairs.
"They will have to prove that they are living in housing need and that there are deficiencies in their house that in some way they might lose their housing," said Coughlin.
The program will work like other Habitat programs where homeowners enter into an agreement with the organization to pay for the service at an affordable rate.
"We enter into an agreement with Habitat to pay back the cost of their repair over time in an affordable manner just like we do a mortgage geared to income, it would be considered a loan."
