Rebuilding Lake County, together
Wednesday, October 31, 2018
Cobb family moves into their newly rebuilt home: $3 Million in funds still available for rebuilding
In Lake County, most people know someone who has lost a home in a fire. However, the other side of that loss is the positive impact of a successful rebuild. The Guzman family of Cobb, is the newest Lake County family to celebrate the completion of the rebuilding of their home. Their home was completed with help from a CalHome loan with 0% interest and no payment necessary for 30 years, Hope City; who provided construction volunteers to do the labor and Hammers For Hope; who provided the grant, administered by North Coast Opportunities (NCO). To rebuild a community, one home at a time, help from multiple sources is needed.
“Thanks to the expertise of Hope City and Hammers For Hope, collectively we are able to help survivors return home. This funding is available to many individuals. It doesn’t matter if you are building a manufactured home, or a traditional home. Even if you only need a partial loan to close a gap in financing, CalHome Loans can help Lake County rebuild,” said NCO Executive Director Patty Bruder.
Rogelio & Maria Guzman are very pleased to finally be back on their property and in a home they can call their own. At the recent dedication of his new home, Mr. Guzman had tears in his eyes as he thanked those in attendance; “We have been waiting for 3 years and now we feel like we have come back to life, we are very happy. God Bless all the volunteers and everyone involved.”
The CalHome Loan Program is funded through the California Department of Housing and Community Development (HCD). The program targets low-to moderate-income households who owned or rented a home destroyed by the recent fires. Approximately $1 million in CalHome loans are expected to be awarded to eligible borrowers in Lake County by the end of 2018. Funds are still available to help other residents. Individuals who have lost their home to a wildfire are encouraged to apply.
“Nothing is more satisfying than seeing a family successfully return to their home that was once lost. Hammers For Hope remains committed to helping people rebuild their homes,” adds Hammers for Hope Board President Rob Brown. “We hope that others who are in need of housing will apply for CalHome loans and continue to rebuild.”
Funding is still available for 0% interest loans and no payment necessary for 30 years through the CalHome Loan Program and Hammers For Hope. If you would like more information about CalHome Loans, and to see if you qualify, please call Jon Kennedy at (707) 489-4647 or email him at jkennedy@ncoinc.org
If you have lost your home to any of the recent fires, help is available, please contact Team Lake County (TLC) case management and Peggy O’Day, at (707) 994-2910 or email poday@ncoinc.org.