By Ally Lanasa, Staff Writer

(July 30, 2020) Worcester County homeowners in need of exterior home repairs can apply for the Critical Repairs Program through Habitat for Humanity of Worcester County by July 31.

According to its website, the nonprofit is accepting inquiries for critical repairs for homeowner-occupied homes only.

Examples of critical home repairs include roofing, exterior painting, accessibility, weatherization and repairs of structural issues such as porch, stairs, siding and gutters.

Funding is limited and will be based on third party partner approval, in addition to acceptance first in the Habitat program, the website states.

“We have minimal grant funds to help reduce the overall costs, and partial donations of labor and materials from construction partners and sponsors further assist to make the repairs more affordable,” said Executive Director Andrea Bowland. “Due to the ongoing pandemic, many of our resources such as donations and volunteer support have been greatly reduced. In most cases, a third party funder such as the USDA, will be required to complete repair projects for the foreseeable future.”

Projects may not start until 2021.

To qualify, homeowners must be physically or financially unable to complete the work themselves or obtain a loan to make the repairs.

In addition, homeowners must have valid homeowner insurance and must meet the minimum and maximum income qualifications and credit scores.

Homeowners will also be subject to background checks.

“Once pre-eligibility is determined, the next steps would be the application phase, a scope of work to determine the critical repairs needed (conducted in the home), and a budget determined,” Bowland said. “The final step would be project approval from the Board of Directors before repairs begin.”

The program accepts applicants quarterly. After July, the next funding round is October 1 through October 31.

“We encourage all who may be interested to first spend some time looking over the Family Services section on the website to become familiar with our programs and requirements,” Bowland said.

For more information, visit habitatworcester.org/family-services/critical-repair-program.html. Then, email families@habitatworcester.org to begin the application by the July 31 deadline.

The application fee is $30.