Spotlight: Select Milwaukee's home renovations

Select Milwaukee is a homeownership counseling organization in Milwaukee, WI. With help from federal funds and other organizations, such as NeighborWorks, they are able to provide homeowners with 0% interest loans up to $15,000 to do complete energy-efficient renovations to their homes.

This organization aids both single family and duplex homes, as well as scattered site projects. Most projects focus on “shell measures” such as air sealing and insulation, which make these homes more energy-efficient. Since Select Milwaukee also uses funds from HOME, the projects also address lead-based paint concerns and code related property deficiencies, to ensure the inhabitants’ safety.

For Andy Yeager, Rehab Specialist, the implementation of Housing Developer Pro Software has increased efficiency and consistency in this process. He uses the software to write specs as well as develop an estimated budget.

Overall Yeager feels that “this program (HDP) has added a level of consistency that I was lacking before. It helps add some science to the balance between ’art and science’ that is part of being a Rehab Specialist.” By automating specs, HDP has been a very helpful tool in improving Select Milwaukee's rehab work.

For more information, please visit Select Milwaukee.

Spotlight: Owner-occupied housing rehab program

Located in Deming, NM, Southwestern Regional Housing & Community Development Corporation is a non-profit organization that focuses on rehabilitating owner-occupied homes.

If a homeowner cannot afford a contractor to repair the house - as most are elderly and on a fixed income - Southwestern Regional Housing helps by replacing windows, roofs, doors, plumbing, electric, and more to keep families in their homes. Not only does this organization repair homes, but they make sure the house is free of lead, handicapped accessible, and brought up to Energy Star compliance, allowing the homeowners to save 30-50% on utilities. Without Southwestern Regional Housing’s help, these houses would otherwise be torn down.

Richard Hayes, Rehab Manager, uses Housing Developer Pro to estimate costs of the home repair. With HDP, he finds the process efficient, as the software was easy to learn and since they don’t have to pay someone to write scopes for them, there is more money available to put back into the rehabilitation projects.

Learn more about the owner-occupied program by visiting Southwestern Regional Housing & Community Development Corporation.

Spotlight: NSP-funded housing rehabilitation

Southside Community Development & Housing Corporation is a non-profit community development corporation located in Richmond, Virginia. Southside was established to help residents obtain safe, clean, and affordable housing.

Under funding from HUD’s Neighborhood Stabilization Program, the organization purchases foreclosed and abandoned single-family homes, manages the rehabilitation of the homes, and resells them to low-moderate and middle income families.

Jim Chambers, Project Manager, uses Housing Developer Pro to create work write-ups for the purchased homes and to produce bid packages for contractors performing the rehab work. Additionally, HDP helps Mr. Chambers establish a baseline budget by generating an internal cost estimate based on the work write-up.

The photo below is one of Southside's rehabilitation projects.

For more information, please visit Southside Community Development & Housing Corporation.