Delaware homeowners dealing with leaky roofs, broken furnaces or other household emergencies that threaten their health and safety can take advantage of a program funded by the Delaware State Housing Authority (DSHA).

The Statewide Emergency Repair Program (SERP) provides low- to moderate-income homeowners with plumbing, electric, heating system and roofing repairs or replacement, as well as the installation of bars and ramps that provide greater safety and accessibility for those with disabling conditions. 

The Milford Housing Development Corporation (MHDC) has administered the program since its inception in 2017, helping homeowners apply for the program, then providing project and contract management and oversight. 

To qualify for SERP, homeowners must:

• Have valid proof that they own the home
• Reside in the home for a least 1 year
• Have annual household income that is 80% at or below area median income (AMI), set by the Internal Revenue Service
• Have a health or safety issue causing an “immediate need” and “imminent emergency,” including:
  • Nonworking heating system during the winter months
  • Nonworking plumbing such as toilets and sinks
  • Hazardous electrical issues such as defective outlets and wiring
  • Leaking or damaged roofing
  • Accessibility problems that the installation of bars and ramps would resolve

Tami Golt, MHDC’s Home Repair Manager, says that in 2024, 179 homes were repaired with SERP funds, and since the program started, more than 1,000 homes have been repaired. (Other sources of funding enabled MHDC to repair an additional 111 homes in 2024.)  The program receives $1.5 million annually from DSHA’s Housing Development Fund.

Ms. Golt is joined in her work by an intake coordinator and a field coordinator.  The intake coordinator works with homeowners to prequalify them, and the field coordinator performs home assessments to ensure that requested repairs are covered by the program. After the contractor completes the work, the field coordinator returns to the home to make sure the work was done properly, and the homeowner is satisfied. 

MHDC also draws on a pool of about 30 DSHA-approved contractors who do the work.

Kim Edwards, DSHA’s Community Development Manager, said more than 50 percent of the repairs involve roofing, with heating systems the second most needed repair or replacement.  SERP will cover air conditioning systems if the homeowner or an occupant of the home has a letter of medical necessity.   Repairs and replacements of floors, doors and windows generally are not covered, although exceptions are occasionally made if the homebuyer needs the modification to ensure safety and increase accessibility.

For instance, MHDC recently replaced the roof and heater of a young man’s mobile home.  But after a bike accident left him with limited mobility, the man also needed the worn-out flooring in the home replaced so he could more safely and easily move around using crutches and a wheelchair.   DSHA made the exception and approved the request, and the homeowner’s decaying floor was replaced with laminate.

Ms. Golt notes that her team follows the mantra “functional, not pretty” in executing repair projects.

SERP guidelines require that after a homeowner’s application is approved, a scope of work is signed and a contractor chosen, the contractor has 10 days to schedule the work.  The guidelines also require that the project must begin within 30 days of the homeowner’s first contact with MHDC.

Another SERP client, LaNisha Soto, had several problems in her 16-year-old detached home in Dover, which she attributed to the builder, who went bankrupt shortly before completing construction.  Her mini-split heat pump stopped heating parts of the house and had to be replaced.  The bathtub faucet that never worked properly needed to be replaced, and water damage throughout the house caused by the heater and a washing machine had to be repaired.  

A major safety issue that Ms. Soto lived with for many years was her dysfunctional front doorway.  The double doors were not properly installed, causing a gap that made it difficult for the door to be locked securely and air to pass through the gap.  Because it presented an obvious safety issue for Ms. Soto and her family, MHDC replaced the doors.

Ms. Soto says she tried many times over the years to address the problems in her home, but “nothing was handled correctly until MHDC got involved.” 

Ms. Soto says she and her two daughters and granddaughter feel a lot safer and warmer, thanks to the work MHDC did in her home.  She adds that her experience working with Ms. Golt and her team was very positive. “They treated me with respect.  They were very kind, compassionate and understanding.  They didn’t make me feel less than because I needed help.”

Ms. Golt, who worked for the Department of Correction and a construction company before joining MHDC, says her position requires her to be a social worker, accountant and construction manager rolled into one. “It’s the best job I’ve ever had because I get to utilize the skills I developed in previous jobs,” she says.  

She adds that she and her team have compassion for their clients and get fulfillment from helping them.  “We’ve been in their position.  We know what it’s like to not have the means to fix a broken heater or leaky roof.”

For more information about SERP, call (302) 491-4010 or toll free (844) 413-0038.