HOW TO CONTACT US
OFFICE HOURS ARE MONDAY THROUGH FRIDAY 7:30AM to
4:00PM
TELEPHONE 546-7544
housing@whcacap.org
WHCA will be providing new home ownership opportunities for income-eligible families who are willing to learn how to build their own homes, while cooperating with a small group of other families to build each others homes. The group of families will be guided by a qualified construction supervisor, and a group worker, both of whom we anticipate hiring later this year through at grant from USDA Rural Development. The construction supervisor will train the families in construction methods and oversee the day to day construction activities. The group worker will be responsible for recruiting, marketing, prequlaifying, and financial management of the participating families. Families will help each other build each home and they will move in when all homes are complete. There is no construction experience necessary; WHCA will provide the construction training and supervision.
Benefits the the participating family include saving up to $15,000 on construction costs by providing up-front sweat equity, no down payment, low mortgage payments and interest rates (as low as 1% on many cases), low closing costs and energy efficient modest homes. This program also allows credit worthy, hard working families, who may otherwise be priced out of the market, to own their own homes. This program is not for everyone but for families that qualify this is a real opportunity to begin to build household wealth, learn an new set of skills, take pride in homeownership, and have safe and efficient housing. In many cases families will likely have fewer monthly expenses than their current rent and utilities, and much better home.
Requirements:
1. Families must be willing, and able to commit to working hard (above and beyond their day job) for about a year.
2. Families must be creditworthy and able to qualify for a mortgage through USDA Rural Development 502 mortgage program, or be willing to work toward creditworthiness.
3. Families must have an adjusted gross household income of 80% of median area income or less.
4. Currently families must live in the greater Ellsworth area.
This program will replace oil tanks that are rusty, un-stable, or leaking at no cost to the homeowner.
Requirements: The homeowner must have a current fuel assistance application with WHCA and live in the home.
This program will replace an oil tank that is buried or 10% or more of it is beneath the surface of the ground.
Requirements: Single family, owner occupied homes or mobile homes only. The family must also be below 100% of the median income.
This program will replace any oil lines from the oil tank to the heating system that are buried in the ground or under the basement floor without a protective sleeve covering the copper line.
Requirements: The homeowner must have a current fuel assistance application with WHCA and live in the home.
This program will help with the acquisition of eligible single-family homes to first-time homebuyers with down payment and/or closing costs assistance.
Requirements: The borrower has to be a first-time buyer. The family income has to be below 80% median income. The borrower must complete a ten-hour HoMEworks homebuyer education course prior to closing. The home has to pass a home quality standards inspection before closing.
This ten-hour course will cover budgeting, savings, mortgages, applying for loans, the closing process, and responsibilities of home ownership, etc. Your funding source may require you to complete this course prior to closing.
Requirements: None
Class Schedule: TBA
For more information on class schedules log on to www.mainehomeworks.org. To register for a class at WHCA call 546-7544 ext. 3320.
This program will assess air leakage throughout the
home, assess the heating system, insulate, seal any air gaps, and
educate homeowners in regards to moisture problems and carbon monoxide
safety.
Requirements: The homeowner must have a current fuel assistance application with WHCA and live in the home. An elderly person (age 60 or over), a disabled person, or a young child under 2 must live in the home. WHCA must also be scheduled to be in your town, which is approximately every 2 years.
The Central Heating Improvement Program funds are used for repair or replacement of dangerous, malfunctioning, or inoperable heating appliances or systems, which pose a threat to the health and safety of eligible clients.
Requirements: The homeowner must have a current fuel assistance application with WHCA and live in the home. Proof of ownership is required, i.e. a copy of the deed or a copy of property taxes. A licensed technician must check out the heating system. A letter of condemnation or a written description of necessary repairs must be submitted.
The Family Development Account (FDA) is a savings
account that allows you to save money without affecting benefits. This
program is a 2 ½ to 1 savings match that can go toward; starting or
expanding a small business, down payment and closing costs on a home, or
the purchase of a vehicle.
All qualified applicants will be interviewed. Their applications will be
assessed and considered for participation. While a limited number of
applicants will be selected for participation in the FDA program, the
remainder of any qualified applicants will be placed on a waiting list.
The objective: Each account holder must deposit $50.00 per month into a savings account established by WHCA and the applicant. At the end of the twelve-month contract period, the account will be closed and a check will be issued to the business where the purchase is being made, not to the applicant.
Requirements: The applicant must be income eligible, (at or below 200% of the Federal Poverty Level) and must have a clean credit report.
This program was developed to provide funding to assist homeowners and tenants address lead hazards in their home or apartment. Funding is available to perform lead inspections, lead designs, and repair lead hazards in your home. The purpose of this program is to bring statewide focus and education on the hazards of lead-based paint poisoning to the children of Maine, the importance of proper methods of identification, and to lead-based paint control methods.
Requirements: You must be at or below 80% median income and your home must have been built prior to 1978,
a. Owner occupied homes must have a child under the age of six living in the home.
b. Rental units must be two or more bedrooms and the tenant must be income eligible or the unit must be vacant.
This program is a collaborative effort between the Maine State Housing Authority (MSHA), the Maine Child Lead Poisoning Protection Program (MCLPPP) at the Department of Health and Human Services, and the Department of Environmental Protection (DEP) www.MaineDEP.com. This program is administered by MSHA and four community action agencies including; the Washington Hancock Community Agency (WHCA), PenquisCAP, Community Concepts, and Aroostook County CAP (ACAP), together providing statewide coverage. The Lead Hazard Control Program is providing grants to homeowners and tenants to make their homes lead safe.
Loan and grant proceeds may be used to make essential improvements, including energy-related repairs or home improvements necessary to permit use by persons with disabilities living in the home, lead paint mitigation, and to repair or replace major housing systems in danger of failure. The Home Repair Network program funds cannot be used to complete a shell home. The home must be an existing and habitable structure to be eligible for rehabilitation or replacement assistance.
Requirements: Clients must be at or below 80% median income based on family size. The client must also demonstrate ownership of the property through a copy of a homeowner’s deed. In the case of mobile homes on leased land, the borrower must demonstrate ownership of the mobile home through a bill of sale. In addition, the borrower and owner of the land must have a lease in place; no lease- no assistance can be provided. An owner of the property must be living in the home and all individuals listed on the property deed must be willing to sign a mortgage deed for the loan whether they live in the home or not. The property must not have any restrictions or encumbrances that would restrict the marketable nature of the owner’s interest. Any evidence of out standing tax liens must be cleared before a loan or grant can be approved. Property owners must be unable to provide or obtain financing for the improvements from other sources.
If you require a new electric service, you may need to pay Central Maine Power Company to install poles and wire to connect your newly built home or manufactured home to CMP’s distribution line. The Central Maine Power Assistance Credit Program can reduce those charges by up to $2,800.00.
Requirements: Total household income must be less that 115% of the area median income based on family size. The cost of your home (including land improvements) can not exceed the Maine State Housing Authorities First Time Homebuyer Program, even though this does not have to be your first home. You cannot have received CMP’s Assistance credit in the past 3 years. This must be your primary residence.
Provides subsidy to reduce monthly housing costs up to 30% of household income. Funding is limited and applicants are placed on a waiting list.
Requirements: You must be income eligible. To apply please call 664-2424 to make an appointment.
This program helps clients with first month’s rent, rent/ mortgage payments that are overdue to help prevent homelessness.
Requirements: Your must be income eligible. To apply for this program you
must call 664-2424 to make and appointment.
This program helps you save, on a monthly basis, to get the down payment for a home of your own someday.
Requirements: You must have a Section 8 Voucher to access this program. Please call 664-2424 for more details.
This program was established to reduce residential electricity costs in low-income households by replacing inefficient and unsafe appliances. Appliances that may be installed under this program include: replacement refrigerators; compact fluorescent light bulbs and hard-wired fluorescent lighting fixtures to replace existing incandescent and halogen lighting; and conventional inner-spring mattresses to replace electrically-heated waterbeds. Our staff will educate the homeowner on energy savings and perform an energy audit on the homeowner’s refrigerator. If the refrigerator fails the test, an energy efficient refrigerator will replace it.
Requirements: The homeowner must have a current and approved fuel application, the home has to have been previously weatherized by WHCA or is currently being weatherized, and the refrigerator has to be older than 1995.
