GHBA builders partner on BuildAid to restore homes
BuildAid, a HomeAid and Greater Houston Builders Association (GHBA) rebuild initiative for prequalified homeowners whose homes flooded due to Hurricane Harvey, has received support from local builders and GHBA members who are fulfilling BuildAid’s mission to repair damage at little or no cost to the homeowner.
These GHBA members have, in some cases left other jobs to work as a coalition to help restore homes and rebuild lives. BuildAid’s current builder partners are David Weekley Homes, Partners in Building, Chesmar Homes, Sandcastle Homes and Colina Homes. The entire team is led by Chris Yuko with the David Weekley Family Foundation and director of BuildAid and James Boone, BuildAid construction manager.
BuildAid builders are matched with prequalified homeowners. They work directly with them to walk them through the finish-selection process that includes flooring, cabinets, countertops and paint, and then they manage the restoration from start to finish.
“Hearing the homeowners recap their stories of survival and how the storm impacted them and their families, is completely humbling,” said James Boone. “Most were devastated and never experienced anything like it before. Some have used all of their resources and still have fallen short of a full recovery of their property. Others didn’t have extra resources before the storm. Everyone has been so grateful for us showing up to help them get their lives back together.”
Homeowners must meet a specific criteria to be qualified for assistance, including:
Homes that are construction ready with a mold certificate,
Homes that have no deferred maintenance such as prior foundation or framing problems, Low- to moderate-income homeowners, Homes valued at plus or minus $150,000 depending on the homeowner’s circumstances, and
Homes not in the 100-year flood plain. During BuildAid’s early planning phase, the initiative was selected as a recipient of the Hurricane Harvey Relief Fund (HHRF) and presented with a grant for $5.5 million. HHRF was established by Houston Mayor Sylvester Turner and Harris County Judge Emmett and is administered by the Greater Houston Community Foundation. In June, BuildAid was also awarded a $350,000 grant from the Rebuild Texas Fund that is available to BuildAid homeowners who need furniture after their home is restored. This is also a partnership with Gallery Furniture.
Additional financial supporters include Newmark Homes, Holcomb Properties, Land Tejas Development Company, the Perry Homes Foundation, the David Weekley Family Foundation, Memorial Drive Presbyterian Church and the Brad Williams Family.
HomeAid Houston is a 501(c)(3) charity of the Greater Houston Builders Association that builds transformational housing for the homeless.
For more information on BuildAid, visit www.buildaidhouston.org or call 409-768-0118. For more information on HomeAid visit www.homeaidhouston.org or call 281-970-8970.