A survey by the United States Department of Housing and Urban Development reports that many Portage county residents are barely making end’s meet, like one family on Ivan drive in Kent. Tv2 reporter, Alexandrea Rehner, has more on their story.

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VO: This is the home of Maureen Kline, who recently had extensive home repairs. With repairs to the roof, windows, and furnace her family can keep warm this winter. Unlike the seemingly wealthy new downtown area, the residents live in another reality entirely.

Thanks to a deferred loan program offered by the city of Kent, Maureen was able to manage her home.

SOT:”And I felt so blessed just to be able to get into a house. At that point I was so thankful, that I was just so happy that they could help me. And it is a blessing, its a community blessing…”

SU: See like many in this area this Maureen Kline was living on a limited income.

Based on a survey by the Department of Housing and Urban Development, fifty-seven percent of Portage County residents, including Kent city residents, are living below the area median income.

So where can Kent residents turn to make these needed home improvements?

The Kent community development department has a solution.

VO: Dan Morganti, of the CDD, runs the Owner Occupied Rehabilitation Program. But not everyone is eligible or in some cases a wait list is made because of a limited budget.

SOT: “So it’s important from an investment, a city investment, stand point that to invest into the housing stock and improve it as much as we can with the funding that we have available. And then secondly, you know it helps that household…”

VO: Even with the small budget, the CDD is helping some families, like Maureen’s, stay out of the cold tonight.

For TV2 KSU, I’m Alexandrea Rehner.