Coresa Coloney has transformed her home on Pennant Street in west-central Columbia over the past year. She’s fixed the foundation. She’s replaced windows and screen doors. She’s abated the hazards of lead paint. And she’s insulated her attic, fixed a leak and added a furnace and air-conditioning system.
Coloney did all that with help from the city of Columbia’s housing assistance programs.
The changes have given her house a more homey feel, and they’ve allowed her son, Trey, to stop running three fans to cool his bedroom during the summer.
Coloney and Trey, a 17-year-old Hickman High School senior, share their home with three cats — Vincent Van Gogh, ’Rella (short for Cinderella) and Abu — and their chihuahua, Rex. Owl paintings and family photos adorn the walls, and trinkets and plants line the shelves.
Coloney wouldn’t have been able to make all the improvements to her house without the city’s home rehabilitation program, which provides interest-free loans to eligible residents who want to fix up their places.
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