WHATCOM — Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County seeks to not only get the community into affordable homes but also to keep people in their homes for the long term.
In July, Home Repair Project Manager Gracie Leibowitz joined the team after volunteering for about a year. Leibowitz is from Bolivia where she studied architecture before moving to the United States.
According to Habitat Director of Advancement and Communication Marcelo Pratesi, there has been a program in place for a while, but it has never had an official project manager. He said Leibowitz brings a new level to the program.
Leibowitz said the goal of the home repair program is to help people preserve ownership of their home rather than joining those in the housing market due to something easily fixed.
“You’re helping a whole new generation of home buyers,” she said.
Construction Director Chris van Staalduinen agreed. He said each home that is able to be repaired to keep people living comfortably is one less home that needs to be built.
Leibowitz said many of the repairs have to do with accessibility as people age in place and avoid accidents.
“We also help them to be safe,” she said.
This could look like remodeling a bathroom, building a ramp or installing handrails.
Pratesi said these are often things that may be overlooked until a person is in need.
“It’s one of those things you don’t think about,” he said.
He said many of the repairs or remodels can happen quickly once approved and everything is ready for construction. He said he recalled one woman who had part of her driveway paved, handrails installed, and a bathroom remodeled in a day or two.
Leibowitz said during her time with Habitat she has seen the need for people to feel safe and secure in their own home.
She said often times, problems people notice in their home may be attributed to something larger, so a full home inspection is always done. Once the inspection is done, the Habitat team is able to sit down with the owner and figure out what the immediate concerns are based on the inspection, what the homeowner was wanting done and what is feasible financially.
“Then we can have a complete idea of what is happening in the home,” she said. “It doesn’t mean we need to address everything.”
In the home repair program Leibowitz said they look at four pillars.
The first is dwelling and safety. This includes items such as roofing, foundation and walls.
The second pillar is based on occupant health and can include much of the accessibility work, as well as installing smoke detectors.
Leibowitz said many common requests are for the third pillar — home improvement, which can include replacing windows, insulation, duct system repairs or other weatherization needs.
The final pillar is one for all the work Habitat does — community.
“We want to be engaged with the community and with the neighbors,” she said.
This is often where Build Community Day comes on. Recently Habitat was out in Everson/Nooksack area for Build Community Day and completed four repairs.
Pratesi said when looking at the numbers by pro capita, northern Whatcom County has seen many of the repair projects.
Leibowitz said she has seen many happen around Everson, Nooksack, Maple Falls and the outskirts of Lynden.
Leibowitz said she is hopeful to get more grants in the future to do more home repair projects for those in need and those who may not be able to afford even the most affordable loan.
“The financial burden is something that we know well,” she said.
Growing the grant funding is a top goal for her, she said, in addition to getting more volunteers involved.
She said the number of projects she is able to take on can heavily depend on the availability and number of volunteers.
“The more people the better,” she said.
Another important aspect of growing the program will also be getting the word out, especially to those in minority populations.
According to Pratesi much of how word has spread until recently has been through word of mouth. While that works great, it can make it difficult to reach other populations in need.
The home repair program works similarly to the housing program. The homeowner still pays for the cost of the repair, but Habitat is able to offer 0% loans tailored to the homeowner’s income. The cost is also kept down by using volunteers.
Homeowners who make between 30% and 120% of Whatcom County’s area median income are eligible and van Staalduinen said anyone on the edge or who isn’t sure if they would be approved should apply.
Leibowitz said they prioritize those with disabilities, veterans and other individuals and families in vulnerable situations.