ROANOKE, Va. – Healthy Homes Roanoke was awarded a $2 million grant from the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development. They are going to be using this money to help fix up older homes in the Star City at no cost to the homeowner.
The renovations could include fixing the basement, repairing the roof, or making stairs safer. They will even install air conditioning or heat to make the home more comfortable to live in.
“We have been talking about getting more funding for Healthy Homes Roanoke for a while and when this grant came through it was the perfect fit for the needs of our community and for the partners that we have,” said Katie Kennedy, the program manager for Lead Safe Roanoke. “So it is going to be great to help the citizens of Roanoke make sure they are healthy and safe in their homes and able to stay in their homes.”
Healthy Homes Roanoke is a collaborative that has been helping in Roanoke for the past couple of years with several partners. These include Lead Safe Roanoke, The Office of Sustainability, Total Action for Progress, Renovation Alliance, Blue Ridge Independent Living Center, Roanoke Gas Company, and Carilion Clinic.
These organizations help out the community all year long. They provide a wide range of services, including installing a working bathroom or repainting homes that have lead paint. The services these organizations provide are free in hopes that they will make the community a better and safer place to live.
“We are able to go in and see were there are holes that could be filled with free services that people might not be aware of. So, they don’t know to ask. If you don’t know, you can’t ask for it. So what is so beautiful about this, is we have all these providers that are going to be in the home,” said Nell Boyle, the Sustainability and Outreach Coordinator for the City of Roanoke.
The $2 million grant is expected to help about 150 homes in Roanoke.
Healthy Homes Roanoke will start taking applications early in the summer and they hope to get to work that same summer. For more information, you can call 540-853-5841.