Tired of the constant drip, drip, drip from their leaking roof, the Conners were working to set money aside to make the necessary repairs.

But with five children, "you don't update," said Kathy Conners of 113 S. Wood St., Warsaw.

There were other ideas the family had to fix up their circa-1909 home, where they have lived for 10 years, but replacing the roof was a necessity, no matter whether they had the funds up front.

Enter the Warsaw Housing Authority and its Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation program. Tim Conners said he heard about the program - not locally, but a similar one in Columbia City - and he and Kathy decided to look into whether they were qualified to receive help in repairing their home. Eligibility is determined, in part, through income levels.

"At first I thought I would be embarrassed," said Kathy, who once viewed such assistance as a form of welfare, "but I'm not. I'm proud."

Now, they not only have a roof over their heads, but also benefited by having their home resided, windows replaced, a new kitchen floor installed, electricity and plumbing updated and gaining a new bathroom sink.

"This is beyond our wildest dream," Kathy said, who didn't think updating her home would take place until after the kids were gone. "I went from 'who cares'" when thinking about the condition of her home "to now I care."

"We're really tickled with everything - the way the house looks, the whole nine yards," Tim said. "We originally just went for a roof, but we got more than we ever expected ... it helped 100 percent."

Catharine Walker, executive director of the WHA, said through the Owner-Occupied Rehab program, an inspection is completed prior to having any work on the home approved. Any violations - such as inferior wiring and unsafe conditions - are written up and estimates are made for the work to be completed. "In most cases we do everything the family wants and maybe more," Walker said. The program focuses on making long-term repairs that will improve the value of the property as well as the living conditions in the home.

The city is the recipient of a $300,000 grant which is near closing after the funds have been loaned/given out for home repairs. (This is the second grant received by the city; the first was for $250,000). While much of the grant money is repayable by homeowners afforded low-interest loans, a portion of the loans is forgivable, which means the homeowner is not responsible for repaying that portion of the loaned funds.

"It's been a good thing for everybody," Walker said.

In the Connerses' case, they "borrowed" $21,000. A portion of that will be paid back, while the balance is forgivable. Without this program, the Connerses said they weren't even sure they'd be able to get a new roof without adding to their debt, which includes the original mortgage on their home.

Because of this program, they have become cheerleaders for the housing authority.

"We can't thank Catharine and the rest of those girls enough," Tim said. "We can't do anything to repay them, but we're here if they ever need us."

Both Kathy and Tim work and said they thought "there's got to be something out there for people who are trying," Kathy said.

Another grant is being sought for next year and about a dozen families are already on the waiting list for funds. For more information, call the WHA at 269-7641. [[In-content Ad]]