| Helping homeowners with maintenance (StarTribune) |
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Thanks to Nick Coleman for his Oct. 5 column, "A little dab of paint can't fix a neighborhood's ills." Articles like this help raise awareness about the daily struggles of low-income homeowners. When homeowners on fixed incomes face expenses that exceed income month after month, home maintenance is the usual casualty. Years of deferred maintenance can cause a downward spiral of home deterioration, ultimately leading to unsafe living conditions and an adverse impact on neighborhoods. Often they are faced with city code violations, but the cost of repairs is too much to manage. That's where programs like Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity's A Brush with Kindness can help. A Brush with Kindness (ABWK) is a neighborhood outreach program offering painting, landscaping and minor repairs to qualifying low-income homeowners. Priority is given to homeowners who are elderly, disabled or single parents. It is unfortunate that more homeowners like Diana Slyter are not aware of ABWK. The vast majority of the homeowners we serve have received citations from the city. We have a positive working relationship with city inspectors in Minneapolis and St. Paul. More often than not, if city inspectors are aware that ABWK staff and volunteers have plans to work on a home that has been cited, repair deadlines are extended. In fact, many of the homeowners we serve came to us as referrals from city inspectors. A Brush with Kindness is a program about connecting people and restoring homes through simple acts of kindness so that homeowners can once again live in a safe and decent home. We encourage readers to spread the word so that homeowners can get the help they need. For more information, call us at 612-788-8169 or visit www.tchabitat.org. PAT LUND, MINNEAPOLIS; A BRUSH WITH KINDNESS PROGRAM MANAGER, TWIN CITIES HABITAT FOR HUMANITY StarTribune |
