City of Milwaukee residents who are at least 62 years of age and who meet income guidelines may be able to get an interest-free loan from Milwaukee County to repair their homes. Or obtain a grant to modify their home for greater accessibility, like installing a ramp or bathroom safety bar.
The possible financial help from the new Senior Home Repair program is good news to Milwaukee homeowner and senior citizen Betty Hayes.
“Right now, I’m concerned about my stairs that are going to the basement, they are a little weak. And, I’d love to have them come in and assess what’s going on with those stairs. As well as kind of update the electrical in my basement where my washer and things are," Hayes says.
Hayes attended a county workshop and briefing Thursday at the Clinton Rose Senior Center that was the official start of the new home repair loan program.
Homeowner Katie Brown pointed to the county information form she had already filled out.
“You see, I have down there, windows, gutters, painting, and door casings that need to be replaced. Sometimes those small things that my husband may have done years ago, and now that we’re 70-plus, are a little hard to do," Brown tells WUWM.
The county budget passed last fall set aside about one million dollars in tax revenue for the loan program for Milwaukee residents. It’s on top of an existing loan effort for income-eligible homeowners in almost all Milwaukee County suburbs. The city of Milwaukee already has a home repair program, but not specifically for seniors.
County Housing Services Administrator James Mathy says the county wanted to help the city’s growing number of older homeowners.
“Keeping seniors in their homes, especially those on fixed income, to make sure that people aren’t losing their homes in foreclosure and losing the opportunity for home ownership," Mathy says.
Mathy says he doesn’t know how many seniors will be able to use the new county program. It could be only about 50 if there are nothing but $20,000 repair projects. But he says less expensive repairs would mean more people can receive loans.
The non-profit group Revitalize Milwaukee, using different funding, is running the home modification grant program with a focus on preventing falls.
Another workshop on the Senior Home Repair initiative will be held next Tuesday, Feb. 20, at the Wilson Park Senior Center.
