NEW MEXICO MORTGAGE FINANCE AUTHORITY’S SEVERAL HOME REHABILITATION PROGRAMS KEEPING HOMES AFFORDABLE AND BOOSTING COMMUNITIES By Kristie Garcia, New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority When the New Mexico Mortgage Finance Authority (MFA) was created by the state legislature in 1975, its mission was to provide affordable mortgage loans to low-income New Mexico families. Fast forward to nearly 50 years later — MFA offers much more than mortgages, including various home rehabilitation programs to help New Mexicans stay in safe, affordable homes. MFA partners with service providers around the state to deliver rehabilitation services. For an opportunity to be selected, service providers may submit a proposal through MFA’s notice of funding availability or request for proposals process. HOME Rehabilitation Program The U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development’s HOME Investment Partnerships Program (HOME) is the largest federal block grant to state and local governments designed exclusively to create affordable housing for low-income households. One of the activities this program funds is rehabilitation. Many New Mexicans have benefited from MFA’s HOME Rehabilitation Program, which provides home repairs to bring the home up to code or accessibility modifications to homeowners who lack the resources to do so. Services include but are not limited to: • Hazard reduction measures, such as the installation of ramps or rails in bathrooms for elderly or disabled individuals who are at risk of falling. • Accessibility modifications for individuals with disabilities that include the installation of handrails and ramps or widening doors. • Repair or replacement of major housing systems such as furnaces, ducting or water heaters. • General and essential property improvements that are non-luxury in nature, including roof replacement and mobile home replacement. • Measures needed to bring a home up to code or into compliance. • Energy-saving measures that help improve the efficiency of the heating and cooling of the home and reduce utility bills. Veterans Home Rehabilitation and Modification Program MFA’s Veterans Home Rehabilitation and Modification Program is similar to the HOME Rehabilitation Program in that it provides home rehabilitation for health and safety issues, fall reduction items, accessibility and code compliance upgrades at no cost to eligible veterans. Services for this program also include physical modifications to allow a veteran’s emergency caregiver to live with the veteran. Home Improvement Program The most recently added rehabilitation program is MFA’s Home Improvement Program, which was launched in February 2024. Through this program, home rehabilitation services are offered directly from MFA in eight counties 12
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