Home Preservation Program

County of Los Angeles

Habitat LA envisions a world where every person has a decent place to live. To make this vision a reality, we build and repair homes in partnership with limited-income families across Los Angeles County. Our Home Preservation Program provides low-income houseowners with crucial health, safety, and accessibility-related repairs. We are aware of the growing need amongst low-income homeowners, especially older adults, that cannot afford to complete necessary repairs to their homes. Many households with mortgages often defer vital maintenance on their homes due to high housing costs and costs of living. This increases the potential for health and safety threats for these homeowners and leads to neglected neighborhoods, and sometimes homelessness.

Habitat LA’s Home Preservation Program (HPP) provides low-income households throughout Los Angeles County with interior and exterior repairs to their homes. Examples of repairs include but are not limited to the following: roof repair, mechanical, electrical and plumbing, accessibility modifications, weatherization upgrades, and flooring repair, all of which increase health and safety and help families continue to thrive in their homes. One of the fastest-growing age groups nationwide is 65 and older. The troubling reality is that many older adults are living in homes that are in disrepair or inadequate for their needs and are unable to access resources to make their homes livable. Our HPP provides older adults the opportunity to age in place with comfort and dignity in their home by providing repairs such as widening hallways and installing access ramps and grab bars. Because of these additions, older adults can move around safely, avoid accidents and injuries that can be exacerbated by age, illness, and impaired mobility. Habitat LA has served more than 500 households with repairs and modifications. Our field staff is all too familiar with the dangers created by leaking roofs, loose or non-existent handrails, exposed wires, and malfunctioning electrical panels, yet this is exactly what we see in many of the homes. To ensure that households can continue living in safe and stable homes for years to come, we continue to provide critical home repairs and modifications.

Expand existing project, program, or initiative

Repairs and modifications provided by Habitat LA will enhance safety, increase security, and provide greater self-sufficiency for homeowners throughout Los Angeles County. Not only will homeowners be provided with vital home repairs but their home values and those of their neighbors will increase, affordable housing inventory will be preserved, community connections will be made, and neighborhoods will be revitalized. Additionally, Habitat LA would provide more solar energy improvements, energy efficiency upgrades, and weatherization to communities. More households with solar energy systems would demand less energy from offsite generators, many using fossil fuels, and instead generate onsite renewable power thus reducing local sources of air pollution. Also, homes that receive energy efficiency upgrades and weatherization improvements will consume less energy from non-renewable energy sources, therefore generating less greenhouse gases that contribute to climate change.

Between August 2021 and August 2022, Habitat LA’s Home Preservation Program will provide necessary health and safety-related repair services to at least 100 households across Los Angeles County. Through surveys, households will report satisfaction with the repairs and services received and will report feeling more comfortable and secure in their home. Staff use these surveys to modify services and program rules, when necessary. Additionally, Habitat LA’s staff uses Homekeeper, a platform designed for affordable homeownership and that allows for easy tracking and maintaining interest lists, applications, services provided, surveys, and other important information. Habitat LA’s staff will continue to use Homekeeper, which will allow us to more effectively collect and share information within the affiliate and with funders.

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