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It was a simple, but life-changing repair for a disabled senior in Athol.
Volunteers with A Brush With Kindness installed new flooring in her home to eliminate trip hazards and make it easier to navigate her home in her wheelchair.
The affordable home repair program through Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho helps about 20 low-income homeowners in Kootenai County with critical home repairs each year.
“We work with families to identify the most important repair needs for their home,” said James Casper, Executive Director of Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho. “We’ve painted houses, cleaned up yards, improved accessibility, provided crucial repairs and helped with weatherization.”
A Brush With Kindness provides interior and exterior repairs that address safety, health or home preservation issues, and ADA-compliant wheelchair ramps.
Like Habitat’s home building program, A Brush With Kindness is a volunteer-driven construction program and families must partner on the repair with “sweat equity.” In some cases, homeowners must share the cost of the home repairs.
“We provide families with a hand up, not a handout,” Casper said. “Our repair program is intended to support the safety of our residents and long-term maintenance of their homes.”
The repair program serves families earning up to 80 percent of the area median income. A chart showing income limits is available at https://www.northidahohabitat.org/home-repair/
If a homeowner meets the income limits, they must fill out an application and submit supporting documentation. If approved, Habitat staff will review requested repairs and discuss repayment options. Rental units are excluded from the program.
“We use volunteers and donated materials whenever possible to lower the cost of home repair services,” Casper said.
The program is partially funded with proceeds from Habitat for Humanity of North Idaho’s ReStore – a thrift store at 176 W. Wyoming Ave. in Hayden that sells donated items including furniture, tools, hardware, building materials, clothing, household goods and more.
To learn more about Habitat’s programs serving North Idaho or more information on The ReStore, visit www.northidahohabitat.org