The state’s Home Modification Loan Program (HMLP) continues to be a vital resource in helping seniors, homeowners with disabilities or family members with disabilities modify their homes to enhance accessibility. Since 1999, the program has provided over 3,000 households the financial assistance to implement modifications that improved quality of life and accessibility.
The Berkshire Eagle recently featured Williamstown couple Marcia and Ronald MacInnis. Since purchasing their home in 2022, the couple had largely self-funded over $112,000 to cover unexpected repairs. To pave their gravel driveway, the couple used a zero-interest HMLP loan (the maximum limit for homeowners is $50,000). Since Marcia has osteoporosis and arthritis, paving the driveway addressed an accessibility issue.
Danielle, a Chicopee homeowner and mother, used the HMLP loan to assist her daughter, who has autism. She purchased her home in 2023 and initially considered a piecemeal approach toward modification. After a friend’s recommendation and some online research, she sought out WayFinders, a Western Mass. affordable housing organization, for an HMLP application. Once paperwork was filed, Danielle’s home, built in 1925, was improved with recommendations from her daughter’s healthcare provider. It now has a sensory room, a designated space that enables her daughter to explore and develop her senses and skills safely in a controlled environment, as well as a modified bathroom and backyard. These changes ensure that her daughter has a safer home more sensitive to her unique experience.
The preceding stories are just a few examples of how the HMLP can assist homeowners make these necessary modifications. Both families have created a more accessible home without incurring a heavy financial burden. Furthermore, HMLP loans are deferred payment loans, so these homeowners will not be required to make monthly payments, with the loan repaid when they sell or transfer ownership of their respective properties. These stories also illustrate that more qualifying homeowners can be helped by the program. Another HMLP loan benefit is that homeowners can adapt their living space to suit their personal requirements, so they are able to stay longer in their chosen home without having to find alternative options. It’s another avenue for affordable housing that is available to Massachusetts homeowners.
For more information on The Home Modification Loan Program, click here.
