The Denver Urban Renewal Authority (DURA) has been helping Denver-area residents stay in their homes through various housing rehabilitation programs for more than 40 years. DURA’s Emergency Home Repair (EHR) program addresses problems that pose an immediate danger to the health and safety of low-income Denver homeowners — including, but not limited to, roofing and gutters, heating, electrical and plumbing.
Single mother Melinda Howard was earning minimum wage as a teacher and paying for full-time childcare, leaving here with little money left over for home repairs. When the brick on her historic home in Denver’s Lincoln Park urgently needed repairing, she put what money she did have saved into the project, only to be left with a hole in her roof from the careless work of a bad contractor.
Desperate for help and at a loss for what to do, Melinda took to Google for answers and was directed to the Denver Urban Renewal Authority’s (DURA) Emergency Home Repair (EHR) program, which provides income-qualifying homeowners with 0%-interest, perpetually deferred loans of up to $10,000 to make essential emergency repairs.
After completing an application with the help of DURA’s rehabilitation staff, a DURA-approved contractor fixed the damage to Melinda’s roof. In addition to the EHR program, Melinda also qualified for a grant through the Lead-Based Paint Hazard Control Program, which evaluates and mitigates lead-poisoning risks and other health and safety hazards in older homes with children under the age of 6. Through this program, DURA replaced deteriorating windows in the home, as well as provided lead abatement and removal services, interior and exterior paint, a new rear entry door, weather sealing around the whole house, and completed safety inspections of her furnace and water heater – all at no cost to Melinda.
“The whole experience made me feel safe,” said Melinda. As a single-parent and woman, having workers in and out of the house can be scary. But I always felt good because I knew I could call DURA.”
Without DURA’s help, Melinda said she would have been forced to sell the beloved home her children were born in and the only one they’ve ever known. “We love it here. If we’d had to sell the house, we couldn’t even afford to rent in this neighborhood,” said Melinda. “This gave us some peace of mind and allowed us to build some equity.”
Contact DURA today for more information about any housing rehabilitation programs and to see if you qualify.