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A Brush With Kindness
Ensuring safe and secure homes through community partnership.
Program overview
At Livingston County Habitat for Humanity,
we believe in providing a "hand up, not a
handout." Our A Brush with Kindness
program is a collaborative, income-based
initiative designed to help
low-to-moderate-income homeowners
maintain the exterior and interior of their
homes. By offering affordable home repairs, we help our neighbors stay in safe, healthy, and dignified housing.
How It Works & Services Offered
This program operates on a cost-sharing platform. Repair costs are calculated on a sliding scale based on your household's documented income, making the necessary fixes genuinely affordable.
Projects Habitat can help with include:
- Accessibility ramps
- Floor repair
- Roof repair
- Stair/step repair
- Skirting
- Water heater maintenance
- Furnace repair
- Other projects critical to ensure
safety and security of the home
Eligibility Criteria
To qualify for A Brush with Kindness, applicants must meet the following general guidelines:
Ownership: You must own and occupy the home as your primary residence in Livingston County.
Income: This program serves households earning 80% or below the Area Median Income (AMI). Don't worry if you aren't sure where you fall—our team will help verify your eligibility during the application process.
Need: The home must require
repairs that fall within the scope
of safety and security.
Partnership: Willingness to
partner with Habitat for Humanity,
which may include "sweat equity"
and/or completing the
cost-sharing agreement.
What to Expect: Our Process
At Livingston County Habitat for Humanity, we walk alongside you through every step of your home preservation journey. Because we rely on community volunteers, specialized grants, and donor funding to keep our programs affordable, our project timelines depend heavily on available resources.
Please note that Habitat for Humanity is not an emergency response or quick-repair service. If your home requires immediate emergency intervention, we encourage you to contact local emergency services or disaster relief agencies. For all other preservation projects, here is how our standard process works:
Step 1: Application & Verification
Once you submit your application,
our team will review your housing
need, homeownership status, and
income documents to ensure they
align with our 80% AMI guidelines.
Step 2: Home Assessment
If your application is qualified, our project team will schedule a time to visit your home to evaluate the requested repairs, and determine the scope of work.
Step 3: Cost-Share Estimate
As soon as resources are available,
our team will work with you to
provide you with an affordable,
income-based cost-sharing
estimate.
Step 3: Scheduling & Project Planning
Once the cost-sharing agreement is signed, your project is placed into our active planning pipeline. We will then coordinate the necessary materials, project leaders, and volunteer teams to schedule your repair days.
Step 4: Construction Day!
Our team and community volunteers
arrive on-site to complete the
agreed-upon repairs, working with
you to restore and preserve your
home's safety and curb appeal.
Ready to get started?
Click the button below to fill out the inquiry form!
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