ORLANDO, Fla. — When Roselyn Clouden replaced her home’s roof 13 years ago, she said she had a negative experience with a dishonest contractor who tried to overcharge her. That’s why she’s so grateful the SELF program (Solar Energy Loan Fund) was able to help ensure things went more smoothly the second time around.
“For me, it was the reassurance of having the second set of eyes,” Clouden said. “Unless I tell the SELF program that I’m satisfied with the roof, they don’t pay any money until I give them the okay.”
What You Need To Know
- The non-profit SELF provides different loans for home improvement projects for low-income neighborhoods
- SELF helps vet contractors residents can choose from, and the contractor isn't paid until the resident says they are satisfied with the work
- The program has helped residents finance more than $500,000 in-home improvements
SELF is a Florida-based nonprofit that provides a variety of different low-interest loans for home improvement projects. As a federally accredited Community Development Financial Institution (CDFI), the program’s main purpose is to help lower-income communities thrive economically.
Just before the pandemic began in early 2020, Orange County and the City of Orlando partnered to launch a regional SELF program. To date, the program has helped area residents finance more than $500,000 in-home improvements, according to the county.
Clouden, who’s lived in the same Pine Hills home for 36 years, said it wasn’t about the money for her.
“I could’ve easily gone to a bank to get a loan for my roof,” Clouden said. “But I really didn’t know who to trust, as far as the contractors.”
Clouden says SELF took care of the initial vetting process, narrowing it down to a list of five contractors for Clouden to choose from. She went with St. John’s Roofing Company, who was there Thursday morning finishing up work on the roof.
“For me, it wasn’t about not being able to finance the roof. For me, it was who do I trust?” Clouden said. “With SELF, I felt I could trust them, because they will not give [the contractor] any money until I’m satisfied with the work done.”
Clouden said she wanted to be proactive about replacing her roof after she learned some insurance companies are canceling homeowners for having roofs that are 12 or 13 years old.
She’s looking forward to when the job is complete, and she can go back to fully enjoying the quiet neighborhood she loves so much — where she’s surrounded by almost all the same neighbors who were there when she first moved in.
That kind of neighborhood stability is exactly what Central Florida needs to focus on preserving as more people keep flocking to the area, said Orange County Commissioner Victoria Siplin (District 6).
“I think while we’re focusing on building new homes and partnering with investors or developers, we also have to remember that we have a stockpile of homes that can be saved,” Siplin said. “I think we have to find that balance.”