Rose has lived long enough in her Southwest Lancaster home to remember a short walk to Darrenkamps grocery store, before it moved to Willow Street. A resident of 24 years, she recalls neighborhood gardens with abundant cabbages (reflective of the neighborhood’s nickname, Cabbage Hill) and was friendly with many of her neighbors.
The gardens have disappeared, and many neighbors have moved away, but she loves her home and couldn’t imagine living anywhere else.
“I’m up in years,” she admits, having outlived her husband and her siblings. “But I’m trying to remain as independent as long as I can.”
It seems like a simple wish, to stay in her home, but Rose finds there are obstacles to aging in place, including the physical and financial challenges of home maintenance. For other homeowners, the obstacles may differ—perhaps it’s living with a disability in a home isn’t built to accommodate or facing critical repairs that are beyond budget.
Rose found that she could ease her struggle to maintain her home through Habitat’s Home Repairs Program.
The Home Repairs Program enables low-income homeowners to make critical repairs to their home that would otherwise be beyond their reach. It builds upon our traditional homeownership model, using affordable payment options to work within families’ budgets, sweat equity to increase personal investment, and volunteers to keep labor costs low.
For Rose, it was a ravenous squirrel who munched its way through her porch roof that sent Rose to seek Habitat’s repair services. The fix was minor, but, left unaddressed, it could have resulted in much more costly repairs down the road.
“I’m so grateful ,” she said. “It’s hard to keep up with repairs when you are all by yourself.”
Currently, we are working to provide over 50 home repairs in Lancaster’s Southwest neighborhood (SoWe) over the next two years as part of our partnership with the SoWe Community Plan, a resident-led neighborhood improvement initiative. The repairs will help homeowners maintain their home while also contributing to the overall health of the community.
To learn more about Home Repairs volunteer opportunities or applications, please give our office at call at (717) 392-8836.