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Thursday, September 02, 2010
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Community Action Council has programs to help with heat bills, housing concerns
March 19, 2009
BY DENISE MARTIN
Lakes and Pines Community Action Council, with offices northwest of Chisago County in Mora, handles a variety of housing and energy assistance programs for counties in the entire east central region (7E) of Minnesota. If you need assistance with mortgage or rent payments, or are hoping to fix-up a house or need help paying heat bills, this is a good place to start looking for advice.
Lakes & Pines Family Homeless Prevention and Assistance advocates have been busy serving a consistent number of needy applicants, Director Robert Benes said. But it's the number of people who are being declined that has "spiked." In order to get assistance from Lakes & Pines a homeowner or renter qualifies under criteria that include income levels, employment status, etc. and Lakes & Pines programs don't pay house payments indefinitely, Benes explained.
Unfortunately the number of people seeking assistance who can not realistically expect to catch-up on delinquent mortgage payments is increasing. Benes advised those people need to first seek some loan restructuring help talking with their mortgage holders, a service which is not part of the Lakes & Pines Homeless Prevention program. If you can work with a banker and get payments to a level you can sustain and then need to catch-up on a missed month or so, then Lakes & Pines might be able to help. Of the households aided in this mortgage payments program in 2007-2008; 93 percent were still in their homes after six months.
Benes explained that the community action council is seeking additional money in its funding request for 2010-2012, above the $700,000 that it received for 2007-2009.
Benes isn't sure what the final allotment will be as this gets determined around mid-summer when the 2009 federal/state fiscal year ends July 1.
In actual numbers Lakes & Pines' assistance programs successfully aided 308 households between July 1, 2007 and July 1, 2008.
Cases where Lakes & Pines successfully covered rent or mortgage payments for qualifying households numbered 149. In some cases new housing was located (119) or homeless persons found permanent housing (40).
Maybe you are staying put, but need to do some repairs around your homesite. The weatherization and rehab programs are in place to aid income-qualified property owners.
In the recent stimulus or recovery funding act Congress appropriated $186 million for energy and weatherization assistance in Minnesota.
According to a news release out of the White House, weatherization assistance allows an average investment of $6,500 per home in upgrades and is available to families at 200 percent of poverty level or $44,000 annually for a family of four.
Don't let income hold you back
Lakes & Pines doesn't declare an income level required of those seeking assistance.
Benes explained that publishing a number as an annual income-qualifier ends up causing people who might benefit to "self-eliminate" and not ask for help. There is such a variance in programs available and the application criteria, that he encourages anybody facing loss of housing or who may have already moved in with relatives, or those who are seeking permanent housing to contact the agency.
Calling Lakes & Pines is the best way to contact an advocate.
The number is 1-320-679-1800 or 1-800-832-6082. There will be a taped message with information on the agency's extension numbers for accessing programs, such as energy bill assistance, house rehabilitation programs or the housing advocates.
Call during workday hours. The offices are at 1700 Maple Avenue, E in Mora.
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