Historically, most of the people who received SLS services lived in apartments. Today the preferred housing is living in a house in a residential neighborhood. To make this option affordably, we have partnered with investors in the area who are interested in making this dream come true for our clientele.

Thanks to investors, the people we serve are able to call “home” some of the nicest neighborhood developments in Moorhead. Generally, four people live in a house. They negotiate rent based on the price of the home, and they share all other expenses. This is a win-win relationship as CCRI ensures our clientele pay their bills and take good care of their homes. Staff reports any problems with the homes immediately so repairs can be made. This communication allows the rental property to maintain its value, and is a great long-term investment for the buyer. Jennifer, one of the investors who has bought 5 homes, has this to say about her experience with working with CCRI….

It was several years ago that I began to notice the need for better housing options for the people served by CCRI. Moorhead did not and still does not have a lot of affordable housing options. About three years ago a co-worker of mine bought a house for three gentlemen that received services from CCRI. They have expressed how much they love their new home and clearly take much pride in their home. They were able to become more involved with their community and loved their neighborhood. This caught my attention at that time and started the wheels turning that maybe I could do this someday. I expressed my desires to my husband at that time and he was also on board with the possibility of owning rental properties in the future.

About a year a ago an opportunity presented itself that I could not pass up. A previously owned home was up for sale that had people who received CCRI’s service. However, as this was a handicapped accessible home, the clients did not know where they would move to if it were sold. I educated myself on financing options, down-payment requirements for rental properties (10%) and interest rates (which are higher for rentals). I also found out what rent the clients would be able to afford based on their incomes and the average cost of maintenance expenses. I was able to purchase their home and continue renting to them. This made the clients and me very happy that they were able to stay in their home.

From there it was an addicting whirlwind of buying four more homes within the next year. CCRI was expanding and had a need to continue finding three to four person homes. This option was working very well, as the clients really seemed to be enjoying having their own homes, and they were very good renters for us.

Going into this we never had intentions of making money on these properties in the present. We hope in 30 years it will be a nice part of our retirement portfolio. Our goal is to purchase nice homes that were still affordable for the people and to maintain them. The pay-off is truly seeing how happy these renters are in their homes. I love going over to a house and seeing them use their deck, mow their lawn and do other “home-owner” stuff. It is fun to see them become part of the community and for neighbors to accept them in their neighborhoods. They are great neighbors to have, as I’ve been told. My husband and I are excited to buy homes for these renters in the future. If you would like to know more of this option, you could contact me through the SLS Director.

If you are a home owner or investor, we are always looking for accessible housing or homes that can be easily renovated to accommodate our client’s needs. For more information, please contact slsdirector@creativecare.org.