HABITAT LAUNCHES ITS FIRST HOME OWNER REPAIR PROJECT
AND RECEIVES A $5,000 GIFT FROM U.S. BANK

Habitat for Humanity Yolo County is pleased to announce our first of many exterior home repair projects, known as A Brush With Kindness, for low-income families, veterans and seniors living in the communities of Bryte and Broderick in West Sacramento.

Beginning January 12^th, Habitat will help Boris and Benjamin Shipunoff repair their front porch. The Shipunoff’s are long time residents of Bryte. Boris is 72 and Benjamin is disabled and a military veteran.

We are very excited about this project. The Shipunoff’s epitomizes why we are here and why this type of program is needed. The Shipunoff’s are on a fixed income. Trying to do this work themselves is not possible and having the funds available to afford to pay a professional contractor to perform the work is also not possible. The Board is very excited about this new service to the community and will be volunteering on Saturday, January 14^th.”

A Brush With Kindness is Habitat’s new house-preservation initiative that focuses on repairs, wheelchair ramps, painting, weatherization and landscaping. This is a nationwide program serving low-income homeowners who struggle to maintain their homes and is part of Habitat’s Bryte Broderick Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.

For our home repair/weatherization program, Habitat families and/or seniors must apply and meet the same criteria developed for their homeownership program: need, ability to pay and willingness to partner with HFHYC in the form of sweat equity. For A Brush With Kindness, for every $1,000 of costs, the homeowner puts in 10 hours of sweat equity. For elderly or disabled homeowners who are unable to perform manual labor, family members can provide in their stead. However, homeowners must be on-site the day(s) of the repair and can contribute sweat equity by providing lunch and beverages to volunteers through-out the day. As with Habitat’s homeownership program, Habitat will provide 0% interest loans to the selected families and/or seniors whose terms will range from 3 to 7 years. These loans, added to a family’s mortgage, property taxes and insurance, shall not exceed 30% of gross monthly income. As with their homeownership program, loan payments will be recycled to help future families repair/weatherize their homes.

Also part of this initiative, Habitat Yolo will be seeking in-fill and rehabilitation projects help take vacant land and homes within Bryte and Broderick and transform them into decent, affordable housing for very-low income families. The goal with all these initiatives is to reinvest in these communities for the betterment of residents and Habitat homeowners alike.

All these initiative require the financial support of individuals, businesses and corporations. Habitat is pleased to announce that US Bank has graciously donated $5,000 to help with this initiative. At U.S. Bank, developing communities means investing in people; that’s what community development is all about. It is through funding support to organizations, such as Habitat Yolo, that U.S. Bank can invest in innovative programming which is designed to serve local community needs, building strong vibrant communities.
Habitat still needs your support to help fund this program. Please consider donating today.