REPAIR NEEDS AMONG LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS:
ALLEGHENY COUNTY'S WHOLE HOME REPAIR PROGRAM
Cypress Marrs, Sarah Curry, Rebecca Yae, and Vincent Reina
REPAIR NEEDS AMONG LOW-INCOME HOMEOWNERS:
The Housing Initiative at Penn (HIP) partnered with ACTION-Housing to analyze repair needs among applicants to the Whole Home Repair (WHR) Program in Allegheny County as well as program implementation and impact. Key findings include:
- Outstanding repair needs impact virtually every aspect of residents’ lives: applicants to the Allegheny County WHR program reported that repair issues impacted their finances (64%), their mental health and sleep (54% and 41%, respectively), and their social lives (41%).
- Applicants often underestimate their home repair needs, focusing on repairing visible damage instead of system failures.
- Critical system repairs, like those addressing foundation or electrical issues, are out of reach for most low-income homeowners. One out of two applicants to the program reported that they could not make even a $600 emergency repair.
- The Allegheny County WHR program delivered home repairs addressing multiple critical systems to 250 low-income homeowner households. The program most often fixed roofs, repaired foundations, and addressed water damage. On average, the work completed by the program in homes was valued at just over $46,000.
- Homeowners who had repairs made through the program reported reductions in stress, an increased sense of their home as a financial asset, and a greater ability to use their homes fully.
- Demand for the program outstripped available funding: only six percent of households that submitted applications ultimately received repairs through the program.
Read the full report here.
