New Hampshire Veterans Move into Affordable, Energy Efficient Homes with CDFI Support
Client: Veterans FIRST
Client Location: Danville, at the Rock Rimmon Cooperative, NH
CDFI: New Hampshire Community Loan Fund
CDFI Service Area: New Hampshire
Financing, with support from the OFN Renewable and Energy Efficiency Financing Grant Program
Peter Searching Owl Giove, a Purple Heart Vietnam veteran, found himself without anywhere to live after a fire destroyed his home. He soon learned about New Hampshire Community Loan Fund’s Veterans FIRST program and received the key to a new energy efficient, affordable home last July. With support from an OFN energy efficiency grant, Veterans FIRST has helped ten formerly homeless veterans like Peter move into 500 square foot, Energy Star-rated manufactured homes, with extra energy saving features like LED lighting, insulation, windows, appliances, and low-flow water fixtures.
With mainstream financing unavailable for homeless veterans with very low income, subsidies like OFN’s grant made it possible for NH Community Loan Fund to offer veterans in the program zero percent financing for their homes, which each cost about $54,000. NH Community Loan Fund also partnered with Harbor Homes in Nashua, NH, a transitional housing agency, to match the veterans with homes. In addition, NeighborWorks Southern New Hampshire, a local HUD-approved housing counselor and project partner, provided homebuyer education to the veterans.
“This is small but it’s perfect, especially for a single guy my age,” Peter said. “I have everything I need to have balance in my life.”
Hear more from Peter and New Hampshire Community Loan Fund in this video!