Are you a veteran that owns their own home? Then the Greater New Mexico Habitat for Humanity has two programs that might be just right for you.

The first is the Critical Systems Replacement Program for Veterans.  It is to help veterans replace:

• Roofs
• Heating and cooling systems
• Hot water tanks
• Window replacements
• Bathroom upgrades like walk-in showers or hi-rise toilets

(They do not do electrical work, mold remediation, interior stairway handrails, or garage doors.)

This is from a grant funded by New Mexico Housing, which sets the parameters for what they can do.  The cap on this one is about $30,000, but according to Liz Vincent, Director of Development and Communications, their contractors “go above and beyond to help the veterans”.  All the work is done by licensed and bonded contractors.  This is to ensure the veterans get a warranty on the work performed.

There are eligibility requirements. You must not have a Dishonorable Discharge. There is an income eligibility, but note that V.A. Disability income does not count for this figure.  It is calculated by total household income.  So if you have a spouse who does not work, you would qualify for a higher figure than if you lived alone.  And likewise for children.  They count the income of everyone in the house older than 18 years of age. You must own your own home, not rent. No mobile homes or modular homes. You must be current on your mortgage and homeowners insurance payments.

And you must live in Bernalillo County, South Sandoval County (Rio Rancho, Bernalillo, Corrales, Placitas) or two zips codes in Isleta Pueblo.  Either you qualify to get all the work for free or you don’t get it at all, there is no co-pay or any other cost to the veteran.

The second program is Home Preservation and Repair.

It is for things that allow the veteran to age in place, and to avoid City fines for yard work they may no longer be able to do.  It includes:

• Ramps on entrances/exits
• Fence painting
• Landscaping
• Tree Trimming
• Caulking windows
• Replace decks
• Stairs and handrails
• They will not paint the house.

The cap on this one is about $3,000. All this work is done by Habitat for Humanity staff and volunteers.

To apply for either program, contact:

Toye Adams, Construction Administrative Assistant, at 505-265-0057.  She will do the vetting to see if you can qualify for either or both programs.  Toye will help you with the paperwork involved in the process.

After you are approved, there will be a site assessment by Bob Dreyer, the Home Repair Program Manager.  He will work with the contractors on the estimates to get you as much as possible within the limits of their grant. Then they will set a time for the work to be done, arranging the schedule to suit the veteran. Habitat for Humanity does not spend any money advertising this service, so if you know a veteran who could qualify, please tell them about these programs.

“So many veterans are reticent about reaching out and asking for help,” said Liz Vincent.  “It breaks my heart.”

Don’t go breaking her heart.  Elton John would not approve.

A Veteran Served By This Program Praises It

“Habitat staff Bob and Toye were very sensitive to my PTSD needs and made sure the contractors working on my home were as well. I felt safe with all of the people that came into my home.  I was impressed with everyone’s professionalism and the quality of their work.  I have a new roof which will save a lot on my utility bills in the years to come.  My roof was so rotted, one of the roofers fell through the ceiling in my living.  I was so impressed that they were willing to cover the cost of the damage even though it wasn’t their fault at all.  Triple AAA roofing were incredible.

I was also extremely pleased with Pen Pals Plumbing.  They fixed shoddy work from a prior contractor even though they did not have to and they gave me extremely generous estimates for future work I will need done.

A special shout out to Bob the program manager for putting together this amazing group of independent contractors who are so wonderful to our veteran populations and our needs”.

Mike B. – Veteran and Homeowner