Pat Grace is having an open house.
You may have never heard of Pat, but she wants you to see and hear about the results of a Housing Rehabilitation Program offered in Casper by the Wyoming Housing Network (WHN).
Grace is one of the first customers to sign up for the housing rehab program in Casper and is one of five customers whose homes have recently been completed. She was so pleased with the results on her home at 2701 S. Coffman that she’s inviting the public have a look from 1-3 p.m. on Wednesday, March 26th.
“It’s just a really great program,” Grace said. “I couldn’t have done it by myself, and the folks over there did a great job working with me and the contractors.”
Work on Grace’s house included replacement of windows, remodeling of her kitchen and bathroom, insulation and other items. Program eligible improvements include accessibility, electrical repairs and upgrades, plumbing repairs, roofing, insulation, lead base paint testing and remediation, and other life/safety issues. Homes which receive repairs under WHN’s program must be owner-occupied for at least one year, and homeowners must be of low to moderate income to qualify.
“We utilize federal funds provided by WCDA under the HOME program to help out eligible families and individuals,” explained Forrest Neuerburg, executive director of WHN. “We have this program available in a number of communities in Wyoming, and Casper residents really have started to take advantage of the program.” In Casper and Buffalo there is also additional funding provided by the Sturm Foundation and American National Bank.
WHN has approximately $250,000 left in funds for the current program, and applicants are encouraged to apply as soon as they can as funds are available on a first-come, first served basis. “There is a limited amount of money at this point so we’d encourage people to take advantage of the program,” Neuerburg added.
Once an applicant has gone through the pre-application process, the WHN staff helps them through the process of creating a rehab program for their home. A certified staff member inspects the home, helps the homeowner draft a scope of work for the home, and assists in the bidding process. “Basically, there is a contract between a contractor and homeowner, and we assist in all phases of the construction supervision and with draw requests,” Neuerburg said.
Loans can be made up to $30,000 and are provided on a low-interest basis for the homeowner, and each loan is individually tailored to the needs and abilities of the homeowner. Some of the loan amount can be deferred if circumstances warrant that. The program is available in Casper, Lusk, Torrington/Goshen County, Buffalo and Thermopolis. “We’ve had good success in Thermopolis and Casper, and we’re hoping our other communities will respond well this spring,” Neuerburg said.
For more information on the program, customers can contact WHN in Casper at 472-5843, can call toll free at 866-652-4946 or can go online to http://www.whninc.org/. Applications are also available at WHN’s offices, 300 S. Wolcott, Suite 200, Casper.
