A sign on a front lawn directed Marcel Boucher and Tom Wilcox toward their dream of affordable homeownership after years of apartment dwelling. They had been searching for the ideal home to suit the needs of two adults and three children during October and November last year when by chance they encountered a sign on a Housing Opportunity Partnership house for sale on Home Street. In the back of their minds, the two men remembered seeing an article on HOP in the Winnipeg Real Estate News and, though they couldn't remember all the details from the article, they recalled the program was tailor made for them, so decided to call HOP. It turned out that the call changed their lives for the better, according to Wilcox and Boucher. After contacting HOP, the two men were shown seven homes before they Selected a 2 l/2 storey, five-bedroom house on Toronto Street. "It had all the space we needed, said Wilcox. "We were very impressed," added Boucher. "We hadn't seen anything we liked until we saw the HOP homes and then decided on this one. "We wanted to be settled in by Christmas. It worked out just right." HOP, a program started in 1994 by the Winnipeg Real Estate Board, buys, renovates and then sells homes in the city's West End to low- and modest-income individuals and families. The operation of HOP has since been turned over to a nonprofit board chaired by Tom Yauk, a retired city commissioner. Other board members include a past-president of the WREB, a homebuilder, REALTORS®, a banker, a Canada Mortgage and Housing Corporation representative and two senior real estate association staff. Through an arrangement with CHMC, home buyers only require a 2 1/2-percent down payment with the remaining 2 1/2-per-cent down payment coming in the form of sweat-equity, that is, the purchase(s) are required to help in the renovation of their new home. Normally, the lowest down payment allowed by CMHC-insured mortgages is five per cent. The home buyers are also required to be able to make a monthly mortgage payment.

Before Boucher and Wilcox became homeowners; they had lived in a downtown apartment block. "It cost us about $8,000 a year. That money was being given to someone else," said Wilcox. "It was a waste," added Boucher "It just wasn't doing anything for is." The two men said HOP has been an excellent program for them because they got a first-rate, newly-renovated home at an affordable price. "People we've brought over have been really impressed with the house," explained Wilcox. "My family is impressed. There have been a lot of oohs and ahhs." Peter Squire, the public relations director for the Winnipeg Real Estate Board and a member of the HOP board, said over $1 million has been spent on the purchase and renovation of homes in the West End. In the process, the program supports local employment since it provides jobs for renovation contractors. He said the investment has been well worth it. "People are starting to see a real turnaround in the neighbourhood. They, say, 'Hey! Good things are happening here'. We really do a complete renovation." HOP homes provide an incentive for other owners in the area to spruce up their own homes, Squire added. Since its inception, HOP has acquired 23 homes in the West End and 16 of them have been sold and another five are presently listed on the WREB's MLS@ system. Two other homes are in the early stages of renovation. For more information on HOP, call 784-2352. HOP has also just launched its web site, www.hopwinnipeg.com, designed by Webnet Business Communications of Winnipeg. Article courtesy of Winnipeg Real Estate News - April 27, 2001