Financial and Remodeling
Assistance
By Christine Schoettler
Ella Harris wanted to
find a solution for her mother who had a hard time climbing the
stairs. ”I was so glad to find Neighborhood
Housing Service (NHS)” she said “they were so helpful
with the financing and the construction. I first met with Sharon
Flores, an NHS loan officer. She helped us on a Disability Differed
Loan from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA). I do not have
to pay this back that is until I sell the house. Then, I talked to
Jim Richardson about the different possibilities for my home. We
wanted to have a laundry facility on the main floor and an accessible
bathroom. Jim listened and gave us useful information. Jim helped
us with the request for bids and made the process go very smoothly.
We then selected a contractor. We struggled through the remodeling
but always had water and a usable toilet! It was worth it. We took
a bedroom and converted it into a bathroom. The door was made wider,
and my mother now has a higher toilet and a heavy grab bar to hold
on to. The shower is very spacious and has an adjustable-height,
handheld showerhead. The sink has clearance that allows her to sit.
To avoid the stairs
to the basement, the old bathroom was converted into a laundry
room. This made it possible to have everything on the same level.
It has a wide door, wide enough for a wheelchair. I am already
thinking ahead, next will be the kitchen.”
NHS of Minneapolis has
a large variety of home loan programs, and as a non-profit lender,
they can assure low interest loans. An NHS counselor can help clients
find the best financing available to them depending on their personal
situation and the location of the home. NHS provides the MHFA accessibility
rehabilitation deferred loan program. In addition, NHS has access
to Repayment Loans through the two different programs: the MHFA
Community Fix-up Fund and the Fix-up Fund. Furthermore, for homes
in targeted neighborhoods in North and South Minneapolis there
are loan programs available to specific inner city neighborhoods.
NHS has the ability to assist eligible homeowners with refinancing
for accessibility remodeling. For people who want to purchase their
first home, NHS has home purchase financing, special “first
time” homebuyer financing, down payment assistance, monthly
payment assistance through MHFA’s first mortgage programs.
The NHS Construction Specialist can come to your home to do the
assessment and write up the scope of work. You can contact your own
contractor directly or the NHS Construction Specialist can provide
you with a courtesy list of licensed and experienced contractors
to choose from. He can help you with the bidding process and be your
right hand during the construction process up to the completion of
the project.
Neighborhood Housing Services
(NHS) of Minneapolis will provide you with financial and construction
advice for any accommodations or improvement you need to make to
your home. We can come to your home. For more information, call Jim
Richardson at (612) 521-3581, or at www.northsidenhs.org
Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis (NHS) is a 25-year
old nonprofit organization that reaches out to people who want assistance
with the construction work and the financing of their home improvement.
NHS does a variety of home improvements. It also helps with accessibility
projects on the exterior as well as the interior, such as ramps,
adaptation of kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and bedrooms.
