Leaky faucets, broken air conditioners, drafty windows — one constant about owning a home is that eventually, something’s going to break. Many homeowners throughout the U.S. find themselves in desperate times when they cannot afford to fix a broken step or an outdated bathroom for a variety of reasons.
A 2023 study conducted by a research team at Today’s Homeowner found that of 1,000 homeowners in the U.S., 82 percent needed at least one home repair that year. The study also found 60 percent of homeowners pushed off the repairs due to unaffordability.
These findings hit home in Johnson County as well, and in recent years, as housing rehabilitation programs have begun offering support to homeowners in the community.
After noticing the need for home improvement aid, organizations began to team up to offer support. The organizations also aid residents who require assistance on necessary home improvement projects.
Some of those organizations include the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County, the East Central Iowa Council of Governments, and the Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity, with most collaborating on several housing rehabilitation programs throughout Johnson County.
In 2023, the East Central Iowa Council of Governments began offering the grant program after receiving $195,000 in American Rescue Plan Act funds, said Deanna Robinson, a planner and housing specialist at East Central Iowa Council of Governments.
The American Rescue Plan Act was first enacted in 2021 to supply governments with resources to respond to the impacts of the COVID-19 pandemic.
The funds allow governments to provide assistance to a variety of institutes, such as small businesses, nonprofits, and even households, while also improving infrastructures.
“The main objective was to help keep people in their homes by providing local homeowners assistance with home repairs and modifications that might allow them to age in place, improve their living conditions, and make the home more energy-efficient,” Robinson said.
Johnson County residents who meet the income requirements are allowed to apply for a grant in the form of a forgivable loan of $15,000 for a variety of restorations, including emergency repairs, exterior repairs, residential accessibility, roofing repairs, window replacements, and more.
In addition, households with older adults, those with chronic health conditions, and young children are considered top priority.
Robinson said the program has continued to gain more funding over the past few years, which has allowed for more grants and an increase in the dollar amount that could be spent on each home.
“[The program] is deeply impactful to the homeowners that receive this grant because many times they have had a small repair problem that they didn’t have funds to address, and the problem became worse,” Robinson said.
Once residents are approved for the grant, the next steps in the process consist of housing inspectors traveling to residences and soliciting bids from registered contractors, Robinson explained. The best bid is chosen by the homeowner and the housing inspector, who continues to oversee the projects to completion.
RELATED: Johnson County launches new home rehabilitation and emergency repair program
“Many homeowners don’t have the capacity to work with contractors and to make sure that they have a good contract and the work is done properly,” Robinson said. “We manage the whole process from start to finish, so the homeowner doesn’t have to worry about any of those details.”
Ellen McCabe, the executive director of the Housing Trust Fund of Johnson County, said its programs have been funded by the Federal Home Loan Bank and the Housing Trust Fund for around 15 years.
McCabe echoed the importance of the programs, which ultimately understand how crucial it is for individuals to stay in their homes.
“It would be very disruptive and traumatic for people to lose their homes because they’re not able to maintain them, and so this way, we can help provide support for people to make their homes safe and accessible,” McCabe said.
Over the years, McCabe said the mission behind the program has never wavered, but the cost of equipment and repairs have.
McCabe said there are around 12 to 16 open slots each year for recipients, so it can be some time before people can get assistance. However, other emergency repair systems through the Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity assist in those circumstances.
Scott Hawes, executive director of the Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity, said since its establishment in 1992, the organization has built 135 homes in Johnson and Washington County.
It also launched the Helping Hands program in 2018 to assist with home repairs and accessibility modifications.
“We focus on home ownership because we believe that it can be transformative,” Hawes said. “We also believe that affordable housing is an important way to improve health outcomes, and that isn’t just physical health, but it includes mental health and financial health and, of course, physical health as well.”
The organization has also expanded since its inception to cover five counties while aiming to build more houses, conduct more repairs, and increase sales at its ReStore home improvement stores and donation centers to keep items out of landfills.
Hawes said the organization also focuses on energy-efficiency projects, such as installing solar panels on homes.
“We’re always working to understand what the people need here in our community and looking to fill those needs,” Hawes said.