FAQ

• The applicant must be age 60 or over.
• The home must be located in Douglas or Sarpy County in Nebraska.
• The home must be titled in the applicant’s name (no land contracts, no rental properties).
• The applicant must live in the home that he/she owns, and desire to stay in the home.
• The home must be a single-family home with traditional construction (no multi-family homes, no duplexes, no mobile homes, etc).
• The home must be structurally sound.
• The property taxes and mortgage payments must be up-to-date.
• The gross monthly income for all household residents must be within these limits:
  • 1 person household – $2,383 or less
  • 2 person household – $2,721 or less
  • 3 person household – $3,063 or less
  • 4 person household – $3,400 or less

  Effective as of 9/30/2018. The income limits may be different for different areas outside of Omaha city limits.

1. Call Project Houseworks to ask for an application to be sent to you.
2. Send the completed application back with the documents requested (verification of income, etc.).
3. We will review the application and ask for additional documentation, if needed.
4. If your application is approved, we will call you to schedule a home assessment.
5. When we assess your home, we will review the work you requested. We will also look at all areas of the home to see if there are any additional safety enhancements that we can provide, such as grab bars, hand rails, smoke alarms, etc. We do not expect you to “clean house” for the assessment, but we require conditions to be sanitary and safe for our staff.
6. If your repairs qualify for our services, we will mail a project agreement for you to sign and return. The project agreement outlines the work we are able to provide, and describes the expectations of cooperation.
7. Once we receive the project agreement back, we will call you to schedule the start day for the work.
8. After the work is completed, we will come back on a different day to perform a final inspection. At that time, we will leave a survey for you to return with your feedback.

Depending on the volume of requests for our services, each step of this process may take several weeks. We appreciate your patience during the process.

1. We will need verification of income for ALL people living in the home. A tax return may be used for this. If a tax returned is not filed, proof of income must be provided for each form of income received.
   • If income is from social security, please provide the current year Social Security benefit letter stating the amount you currently receive each month. If you do not have a current benefit letter, you will need to contact the Social Security Office to request one.
   • If income is from a pension, annuity, IRA, 401K distributions, veterans benefits, railroad benefits, or other retirement income, please provide a monthly statement from the retirement plan company (must be dated within the past 3 months) OR a Form 1099-R provided by your retirement plan company at year end. Please contact your retirement plan administrator if you do not have one of these documents.
   • If income is in the form of wages, please provide the last 2 months’ worth of wage documents (pay stubs).
   • If you have any other income, please send current documentation for that as well.  Please call with any questions.
2. If there is a mortgage on the home, please send last month’s mortgage statement showing payments are up to date.
3. If there is more than one owner on the home deed, please send a copy of the deed.

Depending on the situation, we may require additional documentation. Some of our funding sources require additional documents.

Home Repairs: Plumbing or electrical repairs, roof and gutter repairs and other serious repairs requiring prompt attention. Some examples may include a clogged or leaking drain, a broken electrical outlet/light, furnace repair, broken door, flooring, faucets, etc. Home Modifications: Adaptations to the home that will allow the homeowner increased movement and independence, especially at entrances and in bathrooms. We also provide safety enhancements such as handrails and grab bars. Services we do NOT provide: foundation and/or structural repair, yard work, retaining walls, windows, siding, decks, appliances, painting, cosmetic work, air conditioner repair. This is not an exhaustive list. Please call us at (402) 965-9201 to find out if your repair may be eligible. Our goal is to take care of as many repair or modification needs as possible, so that seniors may age in safe and healthy housing. However, due to a large demand for our services and funding restrictions, we are limited to the type and amount of work we can do. There is no guarantee that we will be able to assist everyone who applies.

To verify our standing in the community, contact United Way of the Midlands by dialing 2-1-1.

There is no cost to the homeowner. No payment is necessary if you own and occupy your home for at least 5 years.

We receive financial support from several area foundations, United Way of the Midlands, local businesses, and individual donors. We also work closely with the City of Omaha and City of Bellevue to help them utilize their federal funding for community improvement. For a full list of corporate donors, visit our website at www.projecthouseworks.org/sponsors.