IVHFH Launches Emergency Repair Program

Starting October 1, Iowa Valley Habitat for Humanity will offer emergency repairs and major appliance replacements (ERMAR) under a new initiative for very low-income homeowners in Johnson County. The service, ERMAR, will be added to the repair services offered under IVHFH’s home repair program, Helping Hands, which exists to keep people living safely in their homes.
 
ERMAR differs from IVHFH’s critical repair service, which addresses multiple home issues over a longer period, in that the streamlined process allows IVHFH to address a single repair issue in a small window of time. ERMAR projects include replacing furnaces and water heaters, along with addressing simple issues to major home systems including HVAC, 

plumbing, and electrical. IVHFH will also complete roof repair, ramp construction, and other carpentry work.
 
IVHFH Executive Director, Heath Brewer, sums up the program, “ERMAR is a response to an unmet need in our community. We get a lot of calls about work that needed to be done yesterday, and a lot of these situations are especially complicated for very low-income households. So, we’ve adjusted some of our processes and procedures and fundraising to be able to respond appropriately to these needs.”
 
For more information about the program or an application, please contact program director, Scott Hawes, at scott@iowavalleyhabitat.org or (319)519-3275.

Our goal is to assist at least 10 Johnson County homeowners in the next year, but we need your help to achieve this goal. Make a donation to the ERMAR program today!