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What's New

Partnerships + Funding + Community Support = Reduced Homelessness  Read about Action Emergency Shelter's integrated services

Employment & Training Winter/Spring Program Schedule

¡Aprenda El Inglés!  Learn English!  Aprenda Ingles! Free English classes start January 9th

Action Shelter plans efficiency units Gloucester Daily Times 7/31/06

Action Toy drive missing its 'Mr. Santa Claus' Gloucester Daily Times 7/10/06

Action 41st Annual Meeting Photos 6/14/06

Action housing advocacy Gloucester Daily Times,  May 22, 2006

Action Energy alternative energy programs Boston Globe 4/9/06

"Unity through English language" Gloucester Times editorial 4/14/06

Certified Medical Assistant video Medical Assistant training program introductory video 2/1/06

Click here to read more Action news.

Get the Lead Out

Action, Inc. Local Mass Housing Rehabilitation Agency
(978) 282-1000 Stella Mae Seamans

Competitive Low Interest Rates:

We are available to meet with you days, evenings, and weekends to pre-qualify you. Call (978) 282-1000 to set up an appointment.

Are you eligible for energy-saving home weatherization work or first time home-buyer programs? Click here.

How the "Get the Lead Out" loan works:

On a bright, cool August morning I approached Mrs. Kim Bertolino as she leisurely sipped coffee on her back porch. I came to interview her about her recent journey into home ownership. Her family's house is a small, two-story located in a picturesque section of the city down by Pigeon Cove. During our conversation she introduced me to two of her beautiful children, and I was able to discern that the whole family is happy to call this house "home".

It had been a longtime goal for the Bertolinos to move from an apartment in downtown Gloucester to a house on the outskirts of the city. Yet with enormous real estate costs it was going to take just the right house in just the right price range to make their dreams a reality. Thankfully, while working one day Michael Bertolino drove by the house on Washington Street and discovered it was up for sale. It sat in a beautiful location, and was reasonably priced. Yet at that time it was rather run-down, even "scary". Both the interior and exterior would need a lot of work to become habitable. Despite all of that, it seemed like a good option.

In order to purchase the house Mr. and Mrs. Bertolino went through the City of Gloucester to apply for a first time homeowner's grant. However, the city will only make the grant if the property being purchased meets a certain set of stipulations. One of the requirements is that the home must be lead-free, which this property was not. With the safety of their three children and the money for their home hanging in the balance, it became imperative for the Bertolinos to remove the lead from the house.

The City referred Mr. and Mrs. Bertolino to Action, Inc. where they were able to obtain a loan to de-lead their home through Mass Housing's "Get The Lead Out" program. The program offers home owner-occupants who meet certain income qualifications a 0% deferred payment loan that is not due until the property is sold, transferred or refinanced. A single family, like the Bertolinos, is eligible to receive up to $20,000 for the project.

Mrs. Bertolino commented that the loan application process was extensive and involved a substantial amount of paperwork. But with the assistance of Stella Mae Seamans, who is in charge of housing loans at Action, Inc., she and her husband were able to navigate the process smoothly. They were able to obtain a prompt estimate and get the money together to cover the project.

The de-leading process began almost immediately, which was excellent because the Bertolinos avoided having to pay both rent and a mortgage simultaneously. The whole project took about a week and removed lead paint from all over the house: the entire outside including the gutters and trim work, a closet, and several rugs and windows. Now that the house has been de-leaded she and her husband have refinanced their mortgage and paid off the loan so that they "never have to worry about it again".

Mrs. Bertolino expressed her great pleasure that this service was available, because otherwise she and her husband would have had difficulty affording to get the lead out. She said that she was not aware of the availability of this type of loan and would have never taken advantage of it had not the City brought it to her attention and directed her to Action, Inc. Mrs. Bertolino has now taken it upon herself to discuss this loan program with anyone she knows who is buying an older house. She sincerely hopes that the word will get out about this service, and all services Action, Inc. provides, because they affect so much good in the community.

by Sarah Keenan

For more information email us at admin@actioninc.org or call (978) 282-1000 x 116