Beaches Habitat for Humanity was recently awarded a grant of $30,000 from The Jim Moran Foundation to support its Senior Home Repair Program. For seniors who meet eligibility and income guidelines, the program provides repairs that address safety, security, accessibility and code violations with a focus on homeowners in the Jacksonville Beaches communities.
“Our goal is to help our older neighbors remain safely in the homes where they may have lived for decades,” said Curtis Ford, president and CEO of Beaches Habitat.
The Senior Home Repair Program specifically focuses on repairs that prevent homeowners from suffering injury and falls or having to move out of their homes and into assisted living. Repairs may include door replacement, sidewalk repairs and roof replacement, as well as plumbing, HVAC and electrical work. Beaches Habitat staff, volunteers and subcontractors complete the repair work.
AARP surveys consistently find that the majority of older adults want to reside in their current home or community for as long as possible. The Senior Repair Program makes aging in place possible by completing work that the homeowners would not otherwise have the financial or physical ability to undertake themselves. While the repairs are not free, Beaches Habitat works with each homeowner to create a repayment plan that is affordable.
“There is a significant need for this program in our Beaches community,” said Ford. “Many seniors simply cannot afford the high costs that we are currently seeing in home repair.”
The Senior Home Repair Program, initiated in 2020, is accepting applications from homeowners at the beach who are 60 and older. For more information, call 904-595-5806.
