One person is dead following a house fire Tuesday morning in rural Van Wert County near the Ohio-Indiana border.
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FINDLAY, OH (WLIO) - Habitat for Humanity of Findlay and Hancock County officially launched their biggest building year yet.
For 6 Lima homeowners, they can put their mortgage payments in the past. New Lima-Housing For The Future honored homeowners becoming debt-free with a mortgage burning ceremony. Starting their organization 24 years ago, they have added 243-affordable housing units for Lima residents. Following these homeowners throughout their journeys is part of what keeps them going.
The non-profit explained to attending families the criteria that would need to be achieved to possibly receive a zero percent interest mortgage loan to build the foundation to becoming a homeowner. Those three criteria include a need for a new home if one currently lives in sub-standard housing that resulted in people paying more than thirty percent of their income for housing costs. They also must fall within the required income ranges while demonstrating an ability to pay, and have a willingness to help with other Habitat for Humanity projects or inside the Re-Store. They say this program is important for Allen County as dozens of families have already received new homes.
It's part of their homeowner assistance fund to assist with various housing expenses. One of those being property taxes. WOCAP staff can assist homeowners to see if they are eligible for help that could save their home from foreclosure due to past unpaid property taxes. WOCAP says they can pay up to $10,000 per household.
ALLEN COUNTY (WLIO) - A house was destroyed and the homeowner was injured in an overnight fire near Beaverdam.
A two-alarm house fire in Bath Township overnight heavily damaged a two-car garage.
The UAW Retirees Ramp Crew visited a home on Union Street in order to install stair steps and railings to allow easier access to the homeowner who needs assistance getting into her home. The crew spent more than an hour putting together the stairs and say that they are happy to help local residents in need.
According to the Shelby County Sheriff's Office, around 11 a.m. on Sunday, 22-year-old James Douglas Rayl went to a home in the 1900 block of North Kuther Road outside of Sidney and started beating on the door. The homeowner told Rayl to leave and he had a gun. Rayl broke the door open and the homeowner fired three times.
The program is called Make it Home and Lima was one of 13 municipalities nationwide selected by the Center for Community Progress to see if they can copy the success of the program in Detroit. Other cities that were picked are Atlanta, Louisville, Cleveland, and Milwaukee from a diverse group of applicants. The program takes rental properties that are being foreclosed on and the owner cannot maintain control of and helps the renters purchase them and become homeowners themselves.