Bathtub Housing Growth Company acquired a lift in its efforts to assist senior residents age safely and comfortably of their houses when it acquired new funding for its Comfortably Dwelling program.
MaineHousing awarded the nonprofit a $150,000 grant and expanded the earnings vary for qualifying owners.
Based by Bathtub Housing Govt Director Deb Keller, the program has served 300 senior owners all through Sagadahoc County over the previous eight years, making small security repairs.
“The funding is important, and we couldn’t be extra grateful that MaineHousing continues to supply the inspiration for this essential program,” stated Keller in a information launch. “What might appear to be a minor modification can have a dramatic and optimistic impression on an individual’s capability to thrive of their house.”
New earnings {qualifications} for 2023 will make this program accessible to a bigger group of seniors. Final yr, annual earnings for a single-person family was capped at $48,950, however that’s now rising to $61,180. Earnings eligibility for a two-person house was beforehand capped at $55,950 and has now risen to $69,920.
Keller stated these adjustments have been needed as a result of {dollars} don’t stretch the way in which they used to. She stated in earlier years, Comfortably Dwelling spent as much as $2,500 on repairs per house however now will permit for $3,000 per house to maintain up with rising materials prices.
Patricia Lewis, 90, of Woolwich, stated the program modified her high quality of life when it gave her new smoke detectors, seize bars within the bathe and railings alongside the cellar stairs; weather-proofed the basement door; changed damaged home windows; and added new lighting to her entrance porch. Lewis stated Comfortably Dwelling additionally supplied her with a claw grabber to retrieve out-of-reach gadgets.
“I can decide up a dropped listening to help battery with no drawback. I can dangle up my exterior jacket with out standing on my tippy toes; I’m 90, so it issues,” Lewis stated. “I’m safer each time I am going upstairs or down the cellar. Their repairs to the cellar door removed a draft so I’ve been grateful every single day however particularly in the course of the latest chilly snap.”
Having been unsuccessful find a contractor to repair her cellar door up to now, Lewis stated Comfortably Dwelling was a lifesaver and would extremely advocate it to any eligible senior.
“There could also be methods to make your life safer that you just haven’t even considered,” she stated.
Bathtub Housing has 5 upkeep employees on employees, whereas one worker, Matt Thompson, is devoted solely to the senior house enchancment program. 12 months-round, Thompson evaluates and upgrades houses situated in Arrowsic, Bathtub, Bowdoin, Bowdoinham, Brunswick, Durham, Freeport, Georgetown, Lisbon, Litchfield, Phippsburg, Richmond, Sebasco, Topsham and Woolwich.
“One of many values of this program is that owners have entry to labor that they couldn’t in any other case discover,” Keller stated. “This can be very troublesome to discover a handyperson proper now, particularly for a small challenge like a seize bar set up.”
Keller stated the program assisted 45 owners final yr and plans to assist the identical quantity, if no more, this yr.
Householders who meet the earnings {qualifications} and are 55 or older or have a incapacity can qualify for help. The program gives modifications together with putting in handrails and bathe seats, repairing stairs and home windows, weatherizing, and bettering lighting.
To search out out in case you are eligible, contact Comfortably Dwelling Coordinator Kristen McEvoy at [email protected] or 295-3317.
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