Welcome to Franklin County Home Care’s Consumer’s Home Repair Guide
Franklin County Home Care Corporation (FCHCC), is the federal and state “Agency on Aging” for all 26 towns in Franklin County plus four Worcester County towns of the North Quabbin: Athol, Petersham, Phillipston and Royalston.
We use surveys and focus groups to assess the unmet needs of elders and people with disabilities in our 30 town service area. Although 82% of elders in our service area own their homes, the average income is $13,000/ year, and people report that keeping homes repaired is our biggest unmet need.
FCHCC applied for and received funding from Community Foundation of Western Massachusetts, to develop this Guide to help elders locate home repair resources that are already available, both to find trades people and to help find financing.
Need help understanding this guide? Contact a Home Repair Counselor by
calling 413-773-5555 or 978-544-2259 during normal business hours or via
email. (Let people click to email)
Want to help someone understand this guide? (Let people click here and go to
the Home Repair benefits Counselor page--see green button on home page).
We have FREE money to help with your MassSave updates! Deadline is October
15, 2010.
1. Contact MassSave at 1-866-527-7283 and schedule an energy audit.
2. Have the audit done and get your report.
3. Contact FCHCC at 413-773-5555 or 978-544-2259 and a Home Repair
Benefits Counselor will help you access matching funds to have the work
done.
A maximum of $600 per household is available.
Very important: A listing in this Guide does NOT imply a recommendation of a tradesperson by Franklin County Home Care Corporation! Please be sure to read “How to Hire a Contractor” carefully, and check references.
Also: we have many other financial and personal resources that we cannot list on a web site, but may help in your specific circumstances. If you cannot find what you need, please contact us by email or by telephone. We may be able to help you. And the State of Massachusetts also has an "Energy Saving" PDF you can review: Click here.
How the Guide Is Organized
There are four parts to the Guide:
- “How to Hire a Contractor” has two parts:
- “List of Tradespeople” can help you decide what kind of tradesperson you may be seeking for the work you need to do;
- “How to Hire a Contractor” is adapted from the Massachusetts State advisory, (supplemented by FCHCC). It will help you avoid difficulties, and give you information on how to prepare a successful contract and take advantage of state laws that protect consumers;
- “Finding a Handyman” gives you a starting place to locate a private tradesman for small home repairs, town by town, in some cases connecting you to your town's Council on Aging, Senior Center or Senior Services.
- “Finding a Contractor” provides a link to the constantly updated Massachusetts State “Home Improvement Contractors” web site with up-to-date information on licensed contractors for home repairs. A second Massachusetts web site provides lists of contractors specializing in Disability Adaptations.
- “Finding the Money” has three parts:
- Energy Efficiency and Fuel Assistance;
- Disability Adaptations (Ramps/Grab Bars, etc.);
- Major Repairs / Emergencies.
Feedback and Tradesperson Listings
Finally, because it is new in 2009, we are seeking your feedback on the usefulness of the Consumer’s Home Repair Guide, and your experience getting help with home repairs, Click here for a form you can email or “snail” mail to us that will help us improve this program (PDF).
If you are a handyman or woman and seek to be listed in Section 2, click here for a form you can use to request a listing (PDF).
We hope this helps address your needs.
Sincerely,
Roseann Martoccia,
Executive Director