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December 27, 2011 in Idaho
Idaho program helps woman purchase first home
“It’s a dream come true,” said Lauri Moore at her new home in Rathdrum on Dec. 20. She is the first graduate of the HOPES program, which stands for Homeownership Promotes Economic Stability, offered by the Idaho Housing and Finance Association Home Partnership Foundation.
(Full-size photo)
A 49-year-old Rathdrum woman is enjoying her first holiday season in a home she owns thanks to an Idaho Housing and Finance Association program that helps people bridge the gaps to homeownership.
Lauri Moore is the first graduate of the HOPES program – Homeownership Promotes Economic Stability – offered by IHFA’s Home Partnership Foundation. The foundation offers a 200 percent match on people’s savings of up to $2,000, giving them a total of $6,000 for down payments or, in Moore’s case, paying down the principal to make the mortgage more affordable.
“It’s a dream come true,” Moore said. “Owning a home was when you made it. Now I feel a little more equal.”
After buying the tan rancher with the two-car garage on June 26, Moore said she promptly planted 216 bulbs, painted the house’s walls “Kermit the Frog green” and rescued a greyhound – all things she hadn’t been able to do as a renter.
“When you rent a house you can’t paint unless you intend to repaint or you can’t paper unless you intend to repaper,” Moore said. “A lot of places don’t let you hang pictures. I like pictures on the walls. I’d have about 500 of them.”
She adorned the walls and bureaus with framed family photographs and has guest rooms decorated and ready for her grandchildren to visit. She wants to pull up the carpet and replace it with hardwood floors, reupholster her couch in a dusty purple and create an office for her small business digitizing embroidery patterns for clothes.
Before buying the home, Moore was receiving rental assistance through the federal Section 8 Housing Choice Voucher program administered through IHFA’s Coeur d’Alene office. Her move from rental assistance into homeownership had the ripple effect of freeing up space for new families, who can spend up to five years waiting for rental assistance, said Maria Ortega, a spokesperson for IHFA.
Moore qualified for a $119,000 USDA Rural Development loan and was surprised to discover the mortgage on her 1,500-square-foot home was only $562 a month, just slightly more than the $550 she paid in rent for her 900-square-foot rental.
Because Moore received rental assistance, she qualified to participate in IHFA’s Family Self-Sufficiency program, which helps people become economically independent. The program administrators realized Moore was in decent financial shape, with a part-time job and income from Social Security disability.
She took classes on budgeting and an additional class for first-time homebuyers called Finally Home.
Moore said she didn’t know where she stood financially, even though she knew she had income and good credit.
“I lacked financial knowledge,” she said. “I didn’t know I could buy a home.”
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Diana on December 27 at 10:37 a.m.
I love it when a government program invests in people by giving someone a hand up.
This is one place I want my taxes to go.
ManleyPointer on December 27 at 10:42 a.m.
Our government “investing in people” is what led to the sub-prime debacle.
Dazzeetrader11 on December 27 at 10:51 a.m.
This is exactly why the country’s economy crashed. This is pathetic. I do note, apart from the Kermit the Frog green comment, that there doesn’t seem to be mention of a job or training for a job….
More like another hand out not a hand “up”.
Perfect for Obama…who’s continued the economic policies from before while saying otherwise.
meadman on December 27 at 11:21 a.m.
Dazed your lack of understanding and inability to read, coupled with your on-going hatred for anything that helps people makes your comments irrelevant. Facts are this lady DOES have a business (read the story again slowly), and this program eases homelessness. Secondly, this program has NOTHING to do with Pres. Obama. You are a broken record, Dazed & no one takes your stupid posts seriously.
meadman on December 27 at 11:26 a.m.
You also seemed to miss the fact the she is on disability. I hate to wish bad luck on anyone, but it would be poetic justice if some accident or illness would befall you so you might gain a bit of compassion. Something that GOP folks seem to totally lack.
Dazzeetrader11 on December 27 at 11:53 a.m.
Doesn’t matter mead…you pay for this. Subsidized apts..yes…not houses. For God sakes what’s the matter with your brain. THIS type of thing is exactly what pushed the US over the edge. I’d like to ask what you and your ilk have against America??? Keep the handouts going!!!….as an aside though..does she LOOK disabled???
Like it would matter if she was? Free everything?? No thanks.
It’s not cruel. I don’t think you libs get that….this is too much. The days of freebies must end. I don’t want to pay for this. Her whole life is paid for…food, house (now), etc. Milking the system ( even those who MAY have bad luck) must end. Why don’t you sell your house and give her the proceeds? Well, you believe in this nonsense…so you put your heartfelt money where your mouth is. Let me know when you do that.
Until you do, cast no stones.
meadman on December 27 at 12:23 p.m.
Explain how this program is Obama’s “fault”.
Also you may not “look” disabled, but your continuous ranting shows your mental disability to analyze facts on their own merit because of your preconceived notions and prejudices.
I will be waiting for your explanation of your Obama comment.
meadman on December 27 at 12:27 p.m.
In Dazed world if you get ill or injured so you are disabled and cannot work you are on your own. You live until your resources run out and then you are obliged to either live under the freeway and panhandle or just go kill yourself. NO FREEBIES! !!
Bruce (aka thatoneguy) on December 27 at 1:06 p.m.
Some of us are glad to pay taxes for programs that help others. I’d even be glad if my tax dollars kept D’zee out of a homeless shelter.
meadman on December 27 at 6:17 p.m.
Dazed…..still waiting for your response to my question regarding Obama
Dazzeetrader11 on December 27 at 9:28 p.m.
Oh…I’ve been making a living today. I haven’t been back to appraise your folly mean. Oh…you mean the food stamp president? NO? Oh the one who’s passed out more free lunches than any president in history? Nope…the one with record 30 yr unemployment? COuldn’t be that one. Hmmm…how about the one who’s gnerated the highest debt in the history of the union? Maybe that one?
Or how about the one who’s so unsteady at the helm that he….well it goes on and on…I hear the minimum wage handout was raised today…maybe there is no incremental value on that…what do those folks to different to merit a pay raise? Must be inflation…and guess who caused that?
Want more? I have more…but I think I’ve answer you. You’re a socialist sot. Good luck…you’re a blind leftie. Read and make a sober appraisal sometime. I warn you though…you’ll be very angry if you do. You drank the sedatives…you’d have to be drinking to be a cheerleader for this president.
And yes..the lady in th pic isn’t obviously starving. But did has gotten a nice house which you paid for. Handouts? I bet i know who she’ll be voting for…it’s the “daddy” in the white house.
NOBODY deserves a house. It’s an titlement Dodd and Barney the manboobed freak who did as they did Bills bidding in 1994…the return was votes for Bill. It worked. Now, OPbama’s doing the same thing. It’s in the liberal genes these days. I bet you’re one of them. Asked and now answered meadie chump.
meadman on December 27 at 10:35 p.m.
ohhhhh Dazed is pissed off….!!! got under your skin didn’t it?? just wait until Obama is re-elected next fall….you will really be upset then — probably need to drink even more and earlier in the evening. The clown car that is the Republican candidate circus is a fine example of the tea-bagger mentality (that may be an oxymoron)
alisonb on December 28 at 10:16 a.m.
FYI — to be clear — this sentence was in the story and points out that Moore has a part-time job and is on disability. It also pointed out that she is starting a small business.
“The program administrators realized Moore was in decent financial shape, with a part-time job and income from Social Security disability.”
Alison Boggs
Staff writer