DURHAM, N.C. – Retaining affordable housing and keeping homeowners in place as the cost-of-living increases has become a challenge in many growing cities.
What You Need To Know
- Rebuilding Together of the Triangle has served over 1,000 homeowners
- They work with local and state government to maintain affordable housing options
- Labor and materials are provided so homeowners don’t pay out of pocket for repairs
According to the City of Durham, there are over 16,000 low-income households in Durham that are spending more than half of their income on housing. Leaving these families no choice but to make sacrifices when it comes to other basic needs.
“We have folks tell us all the time how the thing that they kind of stay awake thinking about at night is the leaking roof, or how they're going to pay for the heating/cooling system that they know is getting ready to leave,” Daniel Sargent, the executive director for Rebuilding Together of the Triangle said. “And so, being able to address those things helps them focus on the other priorities in their life, whether that's food or medication.”
Rebuilding Together of the Triangle is trying to alleviate that problem by removing the cost of maintenance and repairs so that homeowners can remain in place as urban sprawl continues to threaten existing neighborhoods.
“We need to build new housing, we need to continue to develop additional housing options, but we also need to make sure that for folks that have a home, that we can make sure it's a safe, stable place for them, too, and a healthy place for them to live,” Sargent said.
Much of the funding for RTT comes from local and state governments actively concerned about the affordable housing crisis. They are contracted to receive $1 million from the Durham American Rescue Plan to fund repairs on 65 low-income homes.
Beacon Building Products has partnered with Rebuilding Together to provide both manpower and materials at construction sites. Reid Wester, regional product manager with Beacon said being on a re-build site is an easy way for him to connect with his community.
“We distribute materials to contractors, to roofers; we don't always get to meet the end user,” Wester said. “So it's really nice for us to get out here, get a little dirty for some of us that like to sit behind a computer more than we should.”
Rebuilding Together has been in the Triangle since 1996 and has served over 1,000 homeowners since then. They cover a four-county area spanning Wake, Orange, Durham and Chatham counties.
“It really comes down to helping our neighbors,” Wester said. “These are the places we live and work. And it's, it makes us feel great. But more importantly, it's about being part of this community. It's about helping a neighbor.”
The month of April is National Rebuilding Month and features Rebuilding Together projects all over the country. There are over 130 chapters across the United States.