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For a woman who is sole head of house—especially when
income is limited—managing home repairs can be a challenge. Home
How-To for Women is a series designed to give women
homeowners on a limited income the confidence and experience to take
charge of the maintenance needs of their homes. Among the benefits of
the program is an in-home consultation with course instructor Jim Kunselman,
where each participant learns what repairs her house needs and which of
them she might learn to do herself. (To view a brief segment on Home How-To that was shown on "Ideas," a program produced by WVIZ, Cleveland's PBS station, go to http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ZQu1FMPIAbk.)

Absolutely no previous experience is required! During the
six-month program, introductory classes in carpentry, electrical, and plumbing
repairs are held in our Teaching Center (take a
Virtual Tour of our
workshop facility.) The class on "Measuring, Cutting, and Connecting Wood,"
for example, gives each woman an opportunity to use a variety of hand and
power tools as she constructs her own tool box. "On-site" classes then allow
class members to apply the skills they have mastered to real repairs in the
homes of program participants! Each woman has one repair done by classmates in her home. Some of these projects are modest, and
some are more ambitious. (Past projects have ranged from adding new
electrical outlets to re-roofing a garage!)
The cost of the program is modest. Each woman pays a $35 materials fee. In addition, she pays the cost of the materials installed during the workshop held at her house. (A no-interest loan is available to spread out repayment for more expensive projects.)

Participants must meet the following four criteria:
- Woman homeowner/occupant of Cleveland Heights house
- Sole head-of-house
- Household income (projected gross for the next year) within the following guidelines:
family of 1: $45,375
family of 2: $51,875
family of 3: $58,325
family of 4: $64,825
family of 5: $70,000
family of 6: $75,200
updated 11/09
- Willing and able to make six-month commitment
(one 3-hour class per week; each participant to attend 16 of 25 classes.)
Although the program requires a substantial time commitment
from the participants, the reward is personal attention and "hands-on"
experience, with many opportunities to use tools and practice repair techniques.
Moreover, the attendees—who all share the sole responsibility for maintaining
a house—work and learn together, developing a real support system for one
another. Participants are awarded a diploma and attend a graduation ceremony
after completion.

Interested women are encouraged to call Becky Stager at Home Repair Resource Center (216-381-9560) to be sent program information for the next course offering. We interview applicants near the beginning of each calendar year for that year's class. (The course generally runs from late April through October.) Most classes for the 2010 course offering will be held on Thursday evenings, with a very few larger projects held on Saturdays. |