By Kelley Kepler
Catholic Herald
Ashland offers new home ownership program
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James Hare, the first person in the state to receive aid through a new home ownership program, looks over the paperwork with Bonnie Galloway of Chequamegon Bay Title. Others who helped him in the home buying process are Jennifer Saari, housing counselor at Catholic Community Services in Superior, left; Sandy Johnson, Section 8 housing specialist at the Ashland Housing Authority; and Terri Misener, a sales associate and broker at Coldwell Banker Emmert Realty. (Photo by Kelley Kepler) |
ASHLAND -- According to Catholic Charities agencies nationwide, the greatest difficulty facing low to moderate income families is the current shortage of affordable housing. Many working families struggle to make ends meet as they spend 30 to 60 percent of their income on housing. That severely limits their ability to pay for other basic necessities like food, clothing, health care, child care and education.
In efforts to further assist low income families to afford housing, the City of Ashland Housing Authority is now participating in a new home ownership program through the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development.
Barbara Demming, executive director of the Ashland Housing Authority, said, "This is one of the best programs I have seen from HUD in the 25 years that I've been working in the public housing sector. Not only does it allow the family to build equity and financial security over the long term, but it also provides for self-sufficiency and security in their future."
Sandy Johnson is a Section 8 housing specialist and coordinator of the Ashland authority's voucher home ownership program. She explained that the Ashland Housing Authority will assist qualified families to purchase a home by paying a portion of their mortgage, depending on the family's income.
So far, one Ashland family has benefited from the home ownership program. James Hare, 46, applied for funding last September and is the first person in Wisconsin to receive aid through the federal program.
Hare had been receiving assistance with his rent through the housing authority. After he took a six-week long home buyer education class through the Superior Catholic Community Services housing counseling program, the housing authority determined that Hare was qualified and ready to become a homeowner.
With help from the housing authority, funding from the United States Department of Agriculture's rural development program, and down payment assistance from Northern Wisconsin Housing, Inc., Hare was able to purchase a home of his own on April 7.
He is disabled and a single father of three children: Danny, who lives at home; Gregory who lives in Silver Bay, Minn.; and Jennifer Eliason, who lives in Ashland. Hare's children helped him with the move, and he is happily adjusting to life in his new home.
According to Johnson, starting the home ownership program was a challenge for all parties involved. But after helping Hare purchase a home, valuable groundwork has been laid and she is enthusiastic about the success of the program. "We have set a goal to provide assistance to at least one homeowner per year," she said.
In addition, the Ashland Housing Authority received a grant from the Wisconsin Housing and Economic Development Authority, WHEDA. The agency plans to use the funding this summer to build a small starter home on land donated by Martinsen Properties and with labor assistance from the Wisconsin Conservation Corps. They will sell this house to a low income family, and proceeds from the sale will go toward the cost of building or rehabilitating a second home.
© Superior Catholic Herald, 2003