HOUSING MATTERS
Meet Your Neighbor!
A Savannah Affordable Housing Fund Client Spotlight
Helping hard-working seniors to live in safe, healthy homes is what the home repair program is all about.
Mrs. Powell was born and raised in Savannah and moved into her Midtown home in 1972. A loving mother and homemaker, she raised three daughters and was active in her community. At 78 years old, she continues to be involved by volunteering to help feed the homeless on Thursdays.
Mrs. Powell learned about the City of Savannah’s home repair program after a neighbor had her roof replaced and told her about the program. Her own roof was leaking in several places, so she applied for assistance to help her to replace it. Unfortunately, she submitted her application right before COVID hit, so there was a delay when all projects were temporarily put on hold. She was relieved when she received a phone call a few months later, when work was able to resume.
“My roof leaked everywhere,” says Mrs. Powell, “But in less than a month, it was fixed, and it has been perfect.” The quality of the work done has given her peace of mind and allowed her to focus on her family and her daily activities without worrying about water damaging her home of more than 50 years. Her appreciation for the home repair program is evident, as she enthuses, “It was easy to work with the team and they’ve all been so polite.”
The home repair program helps low- to moderate-income Savannahians to keep their homes healthy and habitable, by assisting with repairing roofs, fixing or replacing major systems, maintenance on the exterior of the home, building ramps, or making other accessibility modifications to help hardworking seniors be able to age-in-place. Funded in part by the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF) and in partnership with CHSA and Housing Savannah, the program has helped hundreds of deserving people with home repair grants since its inception.
Which is something that Mrs. Powell is grateful for, saying “That grant, I’ll tell you, that’s the best thing could ever happen to us, because it helps a whole lot of us that’s not able to do it ourselves. You know, a lot of buildings are going up and the City’s doing a whole lot, but they’re not leaving the elderly and they’re not leaving the low-income behind. With this grant, it’s just a blessing.”
SAHF home repair projects are an important way to support local seniors and to keep our community healthy, vibrant, and thriving. The home repair program gives people who have worked hard their entire lives the opportunity to maintain a safe and healthy home, where they can live with dignity and remain part of the neighborhoods they’ve lived in for years.
Won’t you give today to help people like Mrs. Powell?
Knock Knock
Who's There?
A Very Funny Fundraiser
But don’t worry – we’re not writing the jokes!
Housing Savannah is teaming up with our very funny friends at the Front Porch Improv for a special Valentine’s Day fundraising event:
“Laugh Your Heart Out: A Stand-Up Special for Housing Savannah.“
Whether you have a sweetheart to bring, are spending time with good friends, or will be flying solo this year, you’re sure to have a great time at this comedy showcase, featuring a line-up of local talent.
But what makes this event extra special is that Housing Savannah will receive 100% of the ticket sales and raffle proceeds, supporting our efforts to educate, advocate, and fundraise for the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF).
So, grab your tickets now and plan to join us on Wednesday, February 14, 2024, from 6:30 pm to 8:00 pm, to Laugh Your Heart Out!
Housing Is Healthcare
Housing and health go hand-in-hand. An affordable, safe, and permanent home is essential to good health.
Housing instability and homelessness can negatively impact one’s physical and mental health, increase the risk of trauma, and decrease the effectiveness of healthcare by making adherence to a treatment plan more difficult or impossible.
From air quality, to access to basic necessities such as grocery stores, public transit options, healthcare, and career or schooling opportunities – and even someone’s life expectancy – are all impacted by the location, quality, and stability of that housing.
Housing and what surrounds it affect every aspect of life. For many, their zip code determines their life outcomes. Recent research from the National Institutes of Health and the Morehouse School of Medicine shows how “perceived neighborhood problems” negatively affect cellular aging in Black Americans – especially men – making them more susceptible to various cardiovascular diseases, cancer, and diabetes. Proximity to education, transportation, healthy food, hazard-free dwellings, healthcare, and jobs matter greatly for health outcomes.
Won't You Invest in a Stronger, Healthier Community?
Your support of these programs is critical.
It won’t happen overnight, but Savannah is poised to make significant progress. Each of us plays a role in addressing this dire situation. Citizens can be part of the solution by contributing to the Savannah Affordable Housing Fund (SAHF), by advocating for more affordable housing options in all areas of our community, or by volunteering to work on a home repair site via United Way of the Coastal Empire’s Housing Heroes program!
Together we can make progress. Together, we can ensure that all Savannahians have a safe, stable, healthy home that they can afford.