$450K will fix homes of seniors, veterans

Atlanta Habitat for Humanity gets Home Depot Foundation grant.

Atlanta seniors and veterans wanting to complete home repairs could get help in the new year from Atlanta Habitat for Humanity.

The nonprofit received a $450,000 grant from the Home Depot Foundation to make home repairs for veterans and seniors living in Atlanta’s Westside communities, Atlanta Habitat announced in a news release.

East Point and Fairburn residents will also receive assistance.

The grant will be used for Atlanta Habitat’s Repair with Kindness program, which pays for critical repairs on homes in Atlanta and south Fulton County, according to the release.

The program is open to all homeowners, including those not previously affiliated with Habitat for Humanity.

“There are times, when members of our community have to choose between paying for home repairs or food, medicine or other basics,” Atlanta Habitat CEO Lisa Y. Gordon said in a prepared statement. “Through these services, our residents, including seniors and veterans, don’t have to make these tough choices.”

Launched in 2016, the program has served seniors and veterans living in Atlanta’s Westside area, including the Ashview Heights, English Avenue, Vine City and the Atlanta University Center neighborhoods.

This year, the program expanded to include Atlanta’s Grove Park community, East Point and the Lightning neighborhood of Fairburn, according to the news release.

The program served more than 150 seniors and veterans this year.

Atlanta Habitat provides home repairs through certified licensed subcontractors, who perform roof replacement, storm door and window installations, and other repairs.

To qualify for the program, homeowners must be at least 55 and in good standing with their mortgages, insurance and property taxes.

The home must also be at least 10 years old, and the cost of repairs cannot exceed $20,000, Atlanta Habitat spokeswoman Alma Hill said.

Residents are also required to be present while repairs are being made and help out on the project.

That could mean opening packages or cleaning up at the end of a day’s work with other volunteers, Hill said.

“In the case of senior or veteran, if they’re unable to perform any work, they need to be present when repairs are made,” Hill said. “We don’t expect people to climb a ladder and put shingles on a roof. There are trained contractors that do that.”

Those interested in learning more about the program are asked to contact Atlanta Habitat Family Services Home Repair Program Coordinator Stefanie Gough at 404-465-1068 or stefanie.gough@atlantahabitat.org.

‘We don’t expect people to climb a ladder and put shingles on a roof. There are trained contractors that do that.’

Alma Hill

Atlanta Habitat spokeswoman