Where does the money for Whole-Home Repairs Come from?
Funding for the initiative came by way of the Pennsylvania Department of Community and Economic Development’s allocation of American Rescue Plan Act money. State Sen. Nikil Saval introduced the Whole-Home Repairs program in 2022 as part of the state budget.
Philadelphia and its collar counties were slated to receive a combined $40 million.
While $50 million of Whole-Home Repairs funding is stuck in limbo due to the need for “additional legislative language,” Chester County’s allocation was not impacted. The county received its entire funding package.
The Chester County Department of Community Development is overseeing the program and working with several providers to roll out the funds.
“We issued a request for proposals earlier this year and three of the four providers administering Whole-Home Repairs funds applied as a coalition,” Bollig said.
Collectively known as the Whole-Homes Repair Coalition, Good Works, Inc., Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, and Good Neighbors Home Repair will administer about $2.6 million of the funds.
The Housing Partnership of Chester County will receive about $112,000 to supplement its senior maintenance and homeowner rehabilitation programs.
Chester County Commissioners Marian Moskowitz, Josh Maxwell, and Michelle Kichline said in a joint statement that the program is a “milestone” in collaboration.
“For the first time, Good Works, Inc., Good Neighbors Home Repair, Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, and Housing Partnership of Chester County are combining forces on this innovative grassroots, community-driven program that has the potential to help so many Chester County residents,” the statement read. “We thank our state legislators for their backing of this important program — the first of its kind in the nation, and one which helps individuals and families stay warm, safe, and dry in homes they can afford.”
Coalition member estimates at least 3,500 Chester County homes are ‘substandard’
Good Works, Inc. is a nonprofit home repair ministry that repairs homes for families with low income throughout central and northern Chester County. The work is mainly accomplished by volunteers and is done at no cost to homeowners.
The Whole Home Repairs Coalition created the intake application in a way to properly divide up the work between the coalition partners.
“The application will then be distributed to the appropriate organization based on geographic area and income level,” said Bob Beggs, executive director of Good Works, Inc. “And then each of the organizations will do a final verification of the qualifications of the homeowner and once they are approved for services, the homeowner will be provided an agreement and a contract for that work to be accomplished.”
Beggs said the work is scheduled to be accomplished no later than December 31, 2026. Approved homeowners will be notified by December 31, 2024.
“Even in a county as wealthy as Chester County, which is recognized as the wealthiest county in Pennsylvania, we know of at least 3,500 — could be more now since COVID — substandard homes in the communities in this county,” Beggs said.
A 2016 survey counted 197,721 total homes within the county limits.
In Beggs’ point of view, the coalition isn’t just addressing poverty by helping people to have warm, safe, dry and healthy homes, but it is also providing an opportunity for volunteers to help in that mission.
“And so it really becomes a neighbors helping neighbors program,” he said.