Group helps low-income homeowners

By WILLIAM K. ALCORN
VINDICATOR STAFF WRITER
LGA GARCIA STILL LIVES IN THE AYERS Street neighborhood she has called home for more than 25 years, and she thanks Interfaith Home Maintenance Services for keeping her there.
Garcia, 63, lost water pressure in her home because of a leaking waterline, and was forced to go to relatives and neighbors for showers and for drinking and cooking water.
She applied to IHMS, met income and other eligibility criteria, and the job of replacing the waterline was done for her. Garcia said she could not have afforded the repairs, and likely would have had to move out of her home. But the work was performed as an emergency Nov. 6, said Jennie Dennison-Budak, IHMS director, and enabled Garcia to stay.
That's the goal of IHMS -- helping low-income homeowners stay in their homes by providing repairs the owners could not afford on their own.
A tremendous side benefit to the community is that the homes are not abandoned, and neighborhoods are preserved, Dennison-Budak said.
IHMS jobs are normally on the small side, the most expensive being $4,000-$5,000, Dennison-Budak said.
About the agency
The nonprofit agency began as an ecumenical volunteer agency in 1974. It now has a staff of 12, including the director and office manager. Its headquarters and workshop is at 1005 W. Rayen Ave.
Dennison-Budak said 98 percent of its jobs are performed by IHMS crews. Occasionally the agency will contract out a job, such as Garcia's new waterline.
Clients write letters of thanks after jobs are completed at their homes.
"I appreciate everything Interfaith has done for me. If not for your help, I would not be able to live in my home. I thank you again for a wonderful job," one said.
Another said, "I would just like to write and thank you so much for your quick response and repair of my furnace. Please thank the gentlemen for their wonderful job."
Typical IHMS jobs are furnace and plumbing repairs, wheelchair ramps, step and porch replacement, installing hot water tanks, windows and door replacement, installing first-floor bathrooms for people who physically can no longer go up steps to a second-floor bathroom, and even doing yard work, snow removal and garden tilling under certain circumstances, Dennison-Budak said.
The agency does not do electrical work, roof repair, or siding/exterior painting of homes and garages, she said.
Funding sources
IHMS is funded by the religious community, area foundations, the City of Youngstown through its federal Community Development Block Grant funds, the District XI Area Agency on Aging through the Ohio Department on Aging, and Youngstown/Mahoning Valley United Way.
IHMS also receives corporate donations and contributions from clients and individuals. The agency's 2001 budget was $578,472, including $51,500 from United Way, which was used to purchase materials for its projects. Dennison-Budak said 91 cents of every dollar received is spent "nailing, soldering and sawing."
Typically, Dennison-Budak said, there is a waiting list of 300-350 clients for all repairs except for emergencies such as furnace, serious plumbing leaks and securing a home after a break-in. The wait for nonemergency repairs can be up to 21/2 years. Porches are done in the summer and plumbing and windows in the winter.
"There is enormous satisfaction in knowing that what we do makes a difference. Our clients can't get these services anywhere else and they can't do it themselves," Dennison-Budak said.
"We're keeping people in their homes at a very reasonable cost to the community at large," she said.
alcorn@vindy.com