Cover Story: Minor home repairs make a major difference
Susan Wilcox is shown in her Overland Park home where she has resided for 48 years.
By Gerald Hay
Susan Wilcox can safely do her laundry in Overland Park.
Mary Self no longer has drafty doors in Shawnee.
Kathy Reynolds’ plumbing problems were resolved in Merriam.
All benefited from projects by the Minor Home Rehabilitation program at Johnson County Housing Services. The free program provides repairs which, if left unattended, would have a direct effect on the health, safety or accessibility of income eligible homeowners.
New steps
For Susan Wilcox, the project replaced steps to her basement. She has lived in her 80-year-old home for 48 years.
“I do my laundry in the basement. The steps were rickety and unstable. My family was concerned I might fall. It was a big relief to my (three) daughters,” she said. “I feel safer. It shows my community cares.”
The project added grab bars in her shower. Hand railings were installed on both sides of the steps to the second floor and to the basement. The first floor now has a smoke detector. The improvements enhanced her feeling of personal safety in her home.
Wilcox thinks the improvements will enhance her independent living at age 77.
“I want to continue living in my home for the foreseeable future,” she said.
According to the AARP’s national 2024 Home and Community Preferences Survey, a strong majority of adults aged 50 and older (75%) wish to remain in their current homes as they age and 73% hope to stay in their communities.
Debbie McGee, left, stands with Mary Self outside the new patio door installed at Self’s Shawnee home where she has lived for 61 years.
New doors
Mary Self also personifies aging in place in Johnson County. “I’m not stubborn,” she said with a smile. “I’m determined.” Her determination reflects lifelong spunk. Self suffered a major stroke in 1968 at age 31 that partially paralyzed the right side of her body, and several minor strokes since then.
Although disabled for most of her life, she has resided in the same home, built in 1949, for 61 years; raised her family with Gary, her husband of 67 years; and carried on in life.
Housing Services installed a new sliding patio door to the living room and a new door from the garage to the patio. The doors addressed weatherization and security issues.
“The patio door had a lot of issues. It was unsafe. The glass was separating from the frame. The lock was broken. It was letting cold air in. Dad used to have to put up heavy plastic
and a blanket in the winter to keep the cold air out,” said Debbie McGee, her daughter.
Self has long used a walker in her mobility. A ramp, built six years ago by Debbie’s husband, Steve, inside the garage, provides her accessibility from the kitchen to the outdoors.
New doors are comforting to Self, who wants to continue her independent living as long as possible. She recently celebrated her 89th birthday in the ongoing twilight of her golden years.
“I’m going to die here,” Self said matter-of-factly. “I hope it’s God’s plan, too.”
Application process
“We typically contact homeowners that apply with us within 60 days of receiving a complete application to start their project. Depending on what projects we’re doing for them, it can take 1-3 months to complete, depending on contractor availability and several other factors,” said Heather McNeive, director of Housing Services.
The process for most projects spans a few months from submission of applications, authorization of repairs to be done, bidding and completion of the project.
Wilcox cautions the process requires patience and attention to what’s required but is worthwhile.
“The application for the elderly home upgrade requires a daunting amount of documentation,” Wilcox said. “Prospective applicants should be encouraged to give it a go and ask Housing Services for help, if needed.”
According to McNeive, Housing Services can assist with filling out the application and walking applicants through the step-by-step process.
Clients are responsible for providing required personal documentation.
Residents who have benefited from previous or current Housing Services repairs can apply for additional services every two years and every five years for Overland Park residents.
“HOME Rehab (see article on page 16) wait list applications can be accepted at the same time as Minor Home and frequently we transition from a Minor Home project to a HOME Rehab project. They are not required to wait two years between programs,” McNeive explained.
Kathy Reynolds likes the new kitchen faucets and garbage disposal as part of minor repairs to the Merriam home where she has lived in for 47 years.
Plumbing repairs
Kathy Reynolds has been helped by both rehabilitation programs at Housing Services.
In 2021, a HOME Rehab project repaired drainage, installed gutters and hand guards, and fixed concrete, electrical and plumbing issues.
A minor home repairs project this year replaced the garbage disposal and faucets in the kitchen and bathroom, “snaked” the kitchen sink for better drainage and installed an accessible toilet seat in the bathroom.
“I couldn’t keep up with all these repairs and coming up with the money,” she said.
The projects, past and present, have helped Reynolds to remain in her home that’s showing its age.
House is slightly older
“This house is as old as I am,” she said and laughed. Reynolds is 74. The house is one year older.
She works full time at a local bank in a career spanning almost 26 years and has resided in her home for 47 years. Her three grandsons, ages 16, 14, and 12, also live with her following the death their mother/Reynolds’ daughter last year.
“We occupy every inch of this house,” Reynolds said with a smile.
According to her, the repairs and improvements have addressed critical issues in an aging home and have protected, even enhanced, the property’s value from neglect and deterioration. The repairs, supported and financed with federal funding, were free to her.
The major HOME rehabilitation program involves a 10-year deferred loan agreement at 0% interest that’s voided if she continues to reside in the house through 2031.
The minor repairs were provided as part of a free federal grant through Johnson County Housing Services.
“This program is just great. It has given me comfort and peace of mind,” Reynolds said. “It has helped me keep my home.”
About Minor Home Rehabilitation
The Minor Home Rehabilitation program by Johnson County Housing Services has pre-set project limits of $8,000 to $15,000, depending on the type of home repairs and location of the residence.
Funding comes from a federal grant by the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development at no cost to the eligible homeowner.
Housing Services is a division of the Johnson County Planning, Housing and Community Development Department. Minor Home Rehabilitation does not provide emergency home repairs.
Minor repairs can include:
- Door, window, furnace and water heater replacement
- Mechanical system repairs and electrical service upgrades
- Widening doorways and ramps for accessibility
- Concrete work and driveway replacement/repair
- Installation of gutters and energy efficiency improvements
- Addition of smoke and carbon monoxide detectors, including specialized equipment for the hearing impaired.
In 2024, 46 projects (a 58% increase from 2023) were completed with $274,500 in federal funding. The 2025 program has completed 18 projects as of Oct. 14.