SHEFFIELD — Elmer and Maria Orobio, both retired teachers, knew it was time to replace their home’s old, drafty windows that let in the cold New England air.
But when a contractor quoted them a price they couldn’t afford, they decided to live with the chill instead.
That was until the Orobios found out about the Berkshire Regional Planning Commission’s home rehabilitation project.
Using community development block grants tied to individual towns, the regional organization helps homeowners who might not otherwise have the means to pay for vital home repairs.
Here’s how it works: Residents must first qualify for the program — which includes being in good standing with your taxes, up-to-date on your mortgage and falling below 80 percent of the area median income. Once approved, a contractor will come in and repair the issues identified by a home inspector. So long as the homeowner doesn’t sell their home within 15 years, all costs will be forgiven.
As part of the program, BRPC took a lien against the home for the cost of repairs, but that lien is slowly forgiven over a 15-year period, according to Brett Roberts, the principal planner for housing for BRPC.