As I sit here I am stunned. Earlier I received the following email message.
I know my previous message got lost 
but maybe this one won't. We have been trying to help the following situation:
- Lawerence and his wife are elderly, blind and have limited means
- Together they make $11,000 plus food stamps
- They currently live in Government Funded Apartments that are in horrible condition
- Lease ends June 30th and no leases will be renewed
- They have no family and rely on each other
Lawerence and his wife are looking to purchase a small home to spend the later years of their life together in safety and peace. No one person seems to be able to explain how to help them. It seems this couple do not make enough to qualify for low income programs and they have $300 a month for mortgage with no reserves.
Our office has contacted the following resources and we have gotten no where:
- HUD
- Lighthouse of Houston
- National Homeowners Alliance
- Urban Homesteading
- Habitat for Humanity
- HACH Loan to Purchase for low income
My question to Active Rain is have you experienced this before? Are there any resources that we have left out at the Federal Level? Does anyone in Texas know of a program that could benefit this couple?
It's quite possible that there is nothing we can do to help these people but I don't want to leave any stone unturned.
Find a seller willing to do seller financing at terms your client can afford.
Hi Stephanie,
I recently went to a class that I think is the type of thing you are look for with these clients. I found out that section 8 offers a program that helps by paying a portion of the mortgage for their currently clients. You might want to have them contact the agency they are working with or if you want contact the agency that subsides there rent. The training I went to was really great. I hope the information I have provided will point you in the right direction. In Georgia this program was county specific. The problem I see is that they have no reserves, but check it out.
Ava
Maybe seller willing to give credit to buyer? Don't know how you folks do it...but lot of people don't have money down as well as no closing cost $. Ava's suggestion sounds good...and maybe if they have seller credits then will accomodate for reserves. Looks like you've contacted quite a few agencies...
Stephanie- Is there a Landlord Tenant Ordinance for the county that this couple lives in ? In the Ordinance it should explain how tenants are protected.
I would like to know who owns the apartments? I would like to know who manages these apartments and why the community has allowed this type of apartment complex to go on like this? Please get back to me on this and I will find out what these folks are going to do about the poor conditions of their apartment complex. 817-707-8491
Evergreen Apartments in Keller,TX are Low Income apartments. They might know of some apartments closer to Dayton...or they could suggest alternatives.
First things first....I think that at this point in time this poor couple needs some emergency assistance from a local church. If you don't have this as an alternative...We have a wonderful Out Reach program here in Grapevine, TX. Our Out Reach Program is called "GRACE." I have volunteered at Grace and they are wonderful people.
Looks like its going to be a tough deal. What kind of credit score do they have???
Stephanie- First of all, its great that you are taking the time and spending the energy to help these people. I do not know of any programs or live in your area, but I really hope you are able to do something for them. In my area, the news stations have something called "Your stories" where they cover local people's stories like this one. Maybe contacting a news station would either spur the apartment owners to fix their property or maybe it would be the beginning of some fund raising. Make a video for "extreme home makeover," then contact the local news with that and see... best of luck
Stephanie,
Are they active in a local church? Sounds like the type of couple that a church might take on as a cause to help.
Rita
Stephanie - maybe you could ask some fellow Realtors in your office to help pay for an ad in the local paper that simply asks for help from anyone who may have a decent rental home that they could afford. In the meantime, ask other Realtors in your area (via email, the local Association of Realtors, etc) to help pay for 6 months or a year of rent for them until something else can happen. It may be a lot to ask, but most people would love to chip in and help out.
Hi Everyone, I received this from our HES Coordinator today and it has become a company wide Plea for ideas. No clue what the credit is and we have not had luck with the news stations yet. I'm about to call my husband-a news guy goes into his restaurant every so often...
I'll check out programs..I'm going to cal a couple of builders...BUT keep the ideas coming PLEASE!
Just pinching ideas -
Could they manage an apartment building? I know of a few owners that will cut manager/tenant rent. Usually it involves 'light duties' and the owner doesn't have to take care of every little thing.
Also, Dayton OH? I know a few people who house sit vacation homes ecspecially for people who can't legally occupy the house more than 14 days a year. For those 14 days the house sitters go visit family.
Long shots, I know.
Thank You Colleen! I really appreciate it!
Thanks Diane, let me know if you come up with something.
Thanks Kyle!
Stephanie- Have you checked into the government grant programs? I know that Dallas county has a Grant program and Tarrant county has the Grant Program. You need to check the county that your couple lives in.
Here are two that have information on Housing Grants;
http://www.mygovernmentresources.com/housing_grants.html?campaign=9927741&adgroup=290300961&keyword=housing%20grants&type=search&engine=G&gclid=CM__luiMiowCFQqgYgodzVXhBA
http://www.tdhca.state.tx.us/cs.htm
http://www.americandreamdownpaymentassistance.com/state.cfm?code=TX
You can also call Wells Fargo and Countrywide to find out about the County Grant Programs. Certain Lenders are affiliated with the programs and when you check out the websites they will usually have a list of the approved lenders.
What you want to look up is Downpayment Assistance programs ...
Good Luck.
I live in a rural area and low income families can get financing through Rural Development. The homes can be in town, they do not have to be rural. I don't know what the guidelines are in your area but their Texas website is here:
http://www.rurdev.usda.gov/tx/sfh.htm
May I ask why they did not or would not help - did you ask the local homebuilder's association to work with these buyers and Habitat?
Could your local board of Realtors co-ordinate something with Habitat?
Thanks Lauren, I will look into them.
Thanks Judi! I will check out that one too!
Hi Bryant, I think we have some people asking around. Thanks for stopping by.
Hi Julie, We tried them already.
Hi Julie, we kept getting the run around everywhere. No answers. But maybe HAR could help get through.
Maureen, that's a thought...thanks.
Stephanie,
God bless you for trying to help these people. In Michigan, we have a number of subsidized rental options available, either through USDA Rural Development of the Michigan State Housing Development Authority. Not sure about purchases, though. Good luck.
Stephanie -- You are most welcome! Great response! I hope that it helps you!
Sally -- I wanted to feature it so badly earlier today but could not. It was hard to read and Stephanie and I edited the piece to where it is now--it took us over an hour to get it right. It just goes to show you that it is not necessarily what you write but how you write it out. Thanks for suggesting that this get featured!
Our rural housing authority (don't know if federal or state funded) subsidizes your payments - you pay what you can afford - it that is $100 a month, then that is what you pay - but it must be a rural area - I have to get maps to see where in our county the homes can be. I believe they are referenced as USDA loans - but I will have someone on my staff forward a phone number for you for Millicent Thomas of Totally Free - who runs a non-profits just for this reason. She helps buyers with poor credit bring up their scores until they can buy and show what there is available in government or other subsidized loans - rate as low as 1% interest, etc. Maybe she can put you in touch with somewhere there that does what she does here or is she can help in another state.
I speak to her home buyers and sponsor their seminars- (they are required to attend an educational seminar on home-buying) so myself and my staff often pick up these buyers . I sell multi million dollar residential and commercial development sales that leave you with nothing in comparison to going to closing with these buyers.
Millicent keeps photos on her walls of the buyers in front of their new homes...... I hope we can find these people what they need.
I'm sitting here shaking my head in disbelief. Not at the elderly couple's plight but the responses that are suggesting they buy a house on $11K + food stamps.
Stephanie:
I, like Robert Kerr, am not beleiving the idea/suggestion they buy a home.
Yes, this is a troubling situation; but BUY IS NOT THE ANSWER.
My question is WHO is not renewing the lease? Are they (Lawrence and his wife) currently on an assistance program? and if so why are they not helping? Have you checked with any association for the blind in the area and publicity they cna bring to bear.
You talk of looking for any Fedreal programs, what about a local county program? Montgomery County Md has an assistance program - HOC - Housing Opportunity Commission.
I also share the thoughts that the news medium needs to be informed of the situation.
I'm sorry to hear about this couples situation. There should be local and state programs to help these people.
In NYC and NY State we have The Department for the Aging which has many programs to prevent homelessness for low income and or disabled senior citizens.
I've heard that certain states are doing pilot programs with Section 8 that isn't just for renters. I'd call your local housing authority and ask them.
Bob Mitchell
ValueList
Hi Eric, it's so sad. I just wish I could solve all of the problems myself.
Hi Robert. I understand what you are saying. The owner of the property is not renewing the leases. They have been fined numerous times and have not made any repairs. Basically it sounds like the units are being condemned and forced to shut down. Thanks for the advice.
HI Mitchell, Dept. of Aging. Haven't heard of it but definitely worth looking into. Thanks!
Hi Bob, We looked into the Sec. 8 loan to purchase and couldn't get anywhere with it. Seems to be a shut door everywhere we go.
Hi Christy, This story just broke my heart. I noticed you read the first one I did with more details-it's just a shame.
Hello Stephanie,
As I sat here and read this post, I too had tears in my eyes. I have never come across this situation, but I have thought about it! It is so heart breaking to be in a situation like you are in and feel helpless! I hope I can learn from all of you -the right things we as REALTORs can do to help our clients who find themselves in this situation! Please keep us all informed on the situation.
I can't believe Habitat for Humanity has been no help. It sounds like it should be right up their alley.
Hi Laura, We were working on this all day today. Still nothing. We are seeing if the parent company of Lending Tree can help. All of the gov. org's. need atleast 3 months for just a response. But these people will be homelss in 44 days.
We are still working on it though. Thanks for stopping by.
It sounds like they need some type of temporary housing while they work on getting into long term housing. Either through a lease, rent, or buy.
If you go the route to buy I was educated by some clients recently that you can combine a rural development loan with section 8 housing assistance. My people were able to work out what I believe is a 1% RD loan along with a section 8 grant so that a good sized portion of their mortgage which is at only 1% is paid through a section 8 grant. It's complicated and time consuming and uses completely different channels but it works. You don't talk to any private mortgage people for this loan. Talk directly to your rural development contacts and to the section 8 people.