Seattle offers home repair loans to lower income homeowners

SEATTLE — Summer is a time when many homeowners plan to take care of major home repairs. For people who can't afford a major project there is help.

The city of Seattle's Office of Housing offers a home repair loan program for homeowners on a low, moderate or fixed income for problems that pose serious health and safety risks.

“This was too much for me. I'm retired and I don't have $9,000 extra dollars," said Anne Perdue, a loan recipient.

A busted sewer line sent Perdue into a panic. She's 70-years-old and on fixed income. Then Perdue saw a brochure in her utility bill about the loan program.

“It kept me in my house. They make the financial arrangements. I said okay I can do that. The help I got from the city was amazing, just amazing,” said Perdue.         

Seattle's Office of Housing offers a low-interest or no-interest loan towards home repairs for homeowners who qualify. Some of the immediate health, safety and structural deficiencies the program will pay for include electrical upgrades, water or sewer line replacements, foundation repairs, roof and chimney repairs, and exterior painting.

"We want to help people be able to stay in their homes. And we know especially for seniors who are a fixed income that when a big repair bill comes up something that might cost thousands of dollars they might be faced with a choice either putting on their credit card or not being able to pay for it or living in bad condition, or sell their house. We don't want people to make that choice,” said Jennifer Labrecque with the Seattle’s Office of Housing.

The program's home repair loans start at $3,000 and are available for households earning up to 80% of area median income. For a one-person household that translates to a monthly income of up to $3,758 and up to $4,833 for a three-person household. Interest rates for these home repair loans range from 0 percent to 3 percent depending on household incomes.

To see if you qualify call (206) 684-0458 or email homerepairloan@seattle.gov.