Yuma, AZ - This home once had termite damage, water damage, no central heating and cooling and a partially collapsed roof.
Michelle Johnson and her 3 daughters were living in the home in those conditions. she says she tried to have it repaired but the costs exceeded what she could afford.
She says she felt hopeless.
"It was hard to know all the damage was there and we were not able to do anything about it but deal with what you get," says Johnson.
Thanks to a program through the City of Yuma Neighborhood Services Johnson received a forgivable loan for about 45-thousand dollars to make the very needed repairs.
Today she was given the key to move in.
She says this 3 bedroom 1 bath home will be life changing for her and her daughters.
"You don't know what this means for our future, how much this reduces stress," says Johnson.
"We replaced half of the roof, we did the bathroom, the kitchen, we added a little storage area, a laundry room which turned out really nice and we also covered everything with dry wall and texture, we did everything cosmetic. A new A/C unit that's very energy efficient and a new water heater," says Marisela Valle with neighborhood services.
Valle says this program is only offered to low income families. Currently they have over 100 people on the homeowner property rehabilitation program list.
She says the loans are not required to be paid back if the owner remains in the home for the term of the loan.
In Johnson's case that's 15 years.
For information on how to apply visit: http://tw.yumaaz.gov/WebWare/Default.aspx?Message=2183&t=-1
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