Ella Harris wanted to find a solution for her mother who had a hard time climbing the stairs. ”I was so glad to find Neighborhood Housing Service (NHS)” she said “they were so helpful with the financing and the construction. I first met with Sharon Flores, an NHS loan officer. She helped us on a Disability Differed Loan from the Minnesota Housing Finance Agency (MHFA). I do not have to pay this back that is until I sell the house. Then, I talked to Jim Richardson about the different possibilities for my home. We wanted to have a laundry facility on the main floor and an accessible bathroom. Jim listened and gave us useful information. Jim helped us with the request for bids and made the process go very smoothly. We then selected a contractor. We struggled through the remodeling but always had water and a usable toilet! It was worth it. We took a bedroom and converted it into a bathroom. The door was made wider, and my mother now has a higher toilet and a heavy grab bar to hold on to. The shower is very spacious and has an adjustable-height, handheld showerhead. The sink has clearance that allows her to sit.
To avoid the stairs to the basement, the old bathroom was converted into a laundry room. This made it possible to have everything on the same level. It has a wide door, wide enough for a wheelchair. I am already thinking ahead, next will be the kitchen.”
NHS of Minneapolis has a large variety of home loan programs, and as a non-profit lender, they can assure low interest loans. An NHS counselor can help clients find the best financing available to them depending on their personal situation and the location of the home. NHS provides the MHFA accessibility rehabilitation deferred loan program. In addition, NHS has access to Repayment Loans through the two different programs: the MHFA Community Fix-up Fund and the Fix-up Fund. Furthermore, for homes in targeted neighborhoods in North and South Minneapolis there are loan programs available to specific inner city neighborhoods. NHS has the ability to assist eligible homeowners with refinancing for accessibility remodeling. For people who want to purchase their first home, NHS has home purchase financing, special “first time” homebuyer financing, down payment assistance, monthly payment assistance through MHFA’s first mortgage programs.
The NHS Construction Specialist can come to your home to do the assessment and write up the scope of work. You can contact your own contractor directly or the NHS Construction Specialist can provide you with a courtesy list of licensed and experienced contractors to choose from. He can help you with the bidding process and be your right hand during the construction process up to the completion of the project.
Neighborhood Housing Services (NHS) of Minneapolis will provide you with financial and construction advice for any accommodations or improvement you need to make to your home. We can come to your home. For more information, call Jim Richardson at (612) 521-3581, or at www.northsidenhs.org
Neighborhood Housing Services of Minneapolis (NHS) is a 25-year old nonprofit organization that reaches out to people who want assistance with the construction work and the financing of their home improvement. NHS does a variety of home improvements. It also helps with accessibility projects on the exterior as well as the interior, such as ramps, adaptation of kitchens, bathrooms, laundry rooms and bedrooms.
