Detroit based non-profit kicks off MI Neighborhood Program with home renovations
DETROIT (FOX 2) - Imagine buying a home and not realizing there’s a serious mold problem, plus the contractors you hired to fix other issues are totally letting you down.
That was the case for Brandi Howard, but never fear, a Detroit-based non-profit came to the rescue, and as part of a new program, they are trying to also improve the long-term health and financial security of her neighborhood.
"There was a hole in the roof where the shingles were coming up," Howard said.
Some of the worst words any homeowner can say out loud are because you know water is seeping into your house.
"My life is going to change after this. We have a mold issue in my basement, and I was unaware of it when I purchased the home, and I have a daughter who has asthma, so that’s going to be a game changer for both her and I," she said.
The day after Christmas, Brandi Howard is walking around with a home inspector, to take a full accounting of what needs to be repaired. She’s getting help thanks to money the non-profit "THAW" was granted from the state.
"I’m excited. I’m overwhelmed and overjoyed," she said.
There’s not just the mold concern downstairs. But problematic pipes, and insulation issues
"It’s like air, you can feel the outside," she said.
The up to $25,000 she’ll be getting through the grant to use on repairs will go a long way and that’s why THAW, which usually focuses on keeping the utilities on, realized how much more systemically they could do with the mi neighborhood program.
I did hit the jackpot, it’s definitely a blessing, I’m just overwhelmed and excited to see what’s going to happen next," Howard said.
This was the very first house to be inspected for THAWs MI Neighborhood Program focused on this east side neighborhood because the non-profit got a $471,000 grant for that program from the Michigan State Housing Development Authority, but now they’re also working with Detroit to hopefully make other homes across the city energy efficient.