A new repair program initiated by Habitat for Humanity of the Mid-Willamette Valley will help area homeowners.
“This is a pilot program,” said Jerry Ambris, Habitat’s executive director. “The purpose is to partner with income-qualified homeowners who earn between 30-80 percent of the Area Median Income to make repairs on their home. As the program is being launched, the repairs that are available are external ramps and rails/ADA accessibility to enable homeowners access to their homes.”
For the pilot Ramps & Rails program, cost is between $1,500 and $3,000, with a sliding scale repayment based on the homeowner’s income, Ambris said.
“Our intention is to grow the program in the future to make more substantial repairs that might include home preservation, critical home repair, weatherization and interior accessibility modifications,” he added. “We do not have the capacity at this time to partner with homeowners who gap in funding from their insurance claims to repair or rebuild their home.”
Kim Parker-Llerenas, executive director for Willamette Workforce Partnership, said the program’s goal is to enable low-income homeowners to continue to live in their homes in a “safe and affordable way for the long term.”
To launch the program, Habitat received National Emergency Grant funding from WWP through a sub-contractor, Community Services Consortium, located in Albany. The funds enabled Habitat to hire Ken Blizzard as the construction trainer who will lead the program.
“Our intention is to make the application available in January,” Ambris said. “Households will apply directly to
our office.”
According to the North Santiam Chamber of Commerce, the repair projects will help “revitalize the condition and appearance of a neighborhood, strengthen connections within a community, and help preserve affordable housing stock.”
Habitat for Humanity of the MWV is a member of the Santiam Long Term Recovery Group, which has been meeting since 2020 right after the Santiam fires. It is through this group, as well as through the Santiam Service Integration Team, social media and other partners, that Habitat will recruit families.
“Since we are just launching this pilot, we will have more robust answers to questions in the coming months,” Ambris said. “The answers provided here are based on our knowledge at this time as we do the prep work to launch the program.”
Volunteers are invited to help with this program, and opportunities will be posted at salemhabitat.org or contact Kattrina Osborn, director of programs and volunteers, at 503-342-1268 or send an email to [email protected].
When available, applications can be dropped off at or mailed to Habitatfor Humanity of the MWV is at 1220 12th St. SE, Salem, OR 97306.
