Home Repairs
Habitat for Humanity of Northwest Arkansas has created a Repair Program to better serve the people of our service area. Our purpose is to provide people with safe and affordable housing. This new program will positively impact homeowners by delivering repairs to their current residence; repairs they might not otherwise be able to afford. The types of repairs must fall within one of these three categories:
1. Home Preservation – Exterior work that includes painting, patching, minor repair, landscaping, and replacement of exterior building materials for maintaining good or sound condition. This also includes outdoor ramps.
2. Weatherization– Work done to improve the energy efficiency and indoor air quality of a structure. The scope of work of a weatherization project is defined by a comprehensive energy audit performed to determine the scope of work, and also testing of the home upon completion, and should include a homeowner education component.
3. Critical Home Repair– Extensive interior or exterior work performed to address health and safety issues or code violations. Critical home repair includes such activities as a change to, or repair of, materials or components; a reconfiguration of space; a modification for accessibility; installation or extension of plumbing, mechanical or electrical systems on an existing structure.
Who Covers the Cost of the Repair?
Habitat will utilize the HUD income limits in the chart below, these limits typically change yearly in or around April. If a household’s income falls below 50% of the median income for their family size then they will not need to repay Habitat for the cost of the repairs. If a household makes between 50 and 80% of the median income then they will repay a portion of the repair costs based on a sliding scale.
HUD Income Limits based on Family Size
HUD Income Limits based on Family Size: 50% and 80% of the Median Income
| Median Income for Washington County, AR
$83,700 |
Family Size 1 | Family Size 2 | Family Size 3 | Family Size 4 | Family Size 5 | Family Size 6 | Family Size 7 | Family Size 8 |
| 50% | 29,300 | 33,500 | 37,700 | 41,850 | 45,200 | 48,550 | 51,900 | 55,250 |
| 80% | 46,900 | 53,600 | 60,300 | 66,950 | 72,350 | 77,700 | 83,050 | 88,400 |
Sliding Scale Examples:
Example 1 – If a household makes 50% of the median income they will pay 50% of the repair, 10% of the repair costs must be paid in full before work can begin on the repair. After the repair is complete the household would either pay their portion of the repair costs either in equal monthly installments of either 1, 3, or 5 years.
Example 2 – If a household makes 80% of the median income they will pay 80% of the repair, 10% of the repair costs must be paid in full before work can begin on the repair. After the repair is complete the household would either pay their portion of the repair costs either in equal monthly installments of either 1, 3, or 5 years.
To prevent a homeowner from immediately selling their property after the completion of the repair, Habitat has the right to put a lien on the property to assure repayment.
What about Sweat Equity?
Habitat believes in giving a hand up not a handout, so each Repair project recipient will have a sweat equity component for their project. Each homeowner’s physical capability will be considered before assigning the number of sweat equity hours. This number will be between 1 and 8 sweat equity hours.
Process:
If your home is in need of a repair, please follow the instructions below:
1. Fill out all sections, except Section 3 of the Repair Application; submit it either digitally, by mail, or ReStore drop-off.
2. Habitat staff will review your repair needs and determine if your repair fits within one of our repair categories and determine your financial obligation.
3. Construction staff will set up an appointment to review your repair needs if your repair is determined to be within our scope of work.
4. After household income has been verified, applications will go through a selection process, this will be determined by the number of approved Repair projects for each fiscal year. The selection criteria for the Repairs program will be the same as the new construction criteria: need for housing repair, ability to pay for a repair, and willingness to partner with HFHWC.
5. If the repair project is accepted, homeowner will be notified of their financial responsibility. If payment plans are necessary then homeowner will sign documents and provide the required 10% down payment.
6. Homeowner will be notified of their Sweat Equity hour requirements; this will not exceed 8 hours.
7. Homeowner will be notified of Repair start date.
8. After Repair is complete, homeowner will make monthly payments to Habitat per the financial agreement.
