Major Repairs Help North Texas Families Remain in Affordable Homes

As many local cities try to address the need for more affordable housing, some are shifting more resources toward doing major repair work to help keep families, especially families in pre-existing affordable housing.

In many cases, repairs are key to allowing seniors like Carol Grimes, to age in place.

Grimes' historic home in McKinney holds many of her family's most precious memories.

"Bottom line, it is where I grew up," she said.

Grimes' parents moved to the home when she was in the 6th grade, in 1955.

Her father planted this magnolia tree in the front yard and her grandchildren have excitedly etched their growth spurts into panels on the wall.

"My grandson Mac, he actually made the comment one time, nothing bad ever happened in this house," she said.

But after her parents died in the early 2000s the house fell into disrepair.

"I had no one and I didn't have the funds to do some of the major things," Grimes explained.

In 2019, her friend Sam Peacock had an idea.

"Why don't you contact Habitat? So I contacted Habitat and the ball started rolling," Grimes said.

Many people know Habitat for Humanity builds new affordable single-family homes. But the nonprofit also does major repairs for a fraction of the cost. Once Grimes was approved, Habitat did several major repairs, including foundation work and installing a french drain to alleviate flooding.

"This would flood, it would be above your shoes," Grimes said, pointing to areas of her yard that no longer flood thanks to Habitat's work.

Inside her home, Sam's volunteer group, Hands & Hammers repaired cabinets, floors and more.

As cities like McKinney become less affordable, housing leaders say it's even more important to repair older homes like Grimes' to preserve affordable housing that already exists.

"We are also trying to keep our people in affordable housing because you cannot find affordable housing out there and keep our elderly household to age in place because even the apartments in the rentals out there are no longer affordable," said Cristel Todd, Affordable Housing Administrator for the City of McKinney

She says that if a home is beyond repair in some instances the city may demolish it and build a new one as they've done in the past.

But since costs have nearly doubled, these days it's much more cost-effective to do massive repairs. Todd says they've considered rehabs that cost up to $100,000.

"We are able to do emergency repairs if the A/C goes out, we can do small repairs if they need a new roof," she said.

Habitat for Humanity is also shifting its resources. The international office created a chart, showing where Habitat saw a 33% drop in building activity in 2020 and now does more repairs than new builds.

"Being able to go in and help preserve the affordable housing that's here keeps the area affordable because we will have investors that come in and they do some renovations they flip it or they charge crazy rent amounts so that no one can afford it and it makes all of the rates in the area start to go up so we want to keep our people in our homes," said Todd.

Grimes told NBC 5 she gets offers from investors, interested in buying her home, and she's grateful that she doesn't have to entertain them.

On a tour, Peacock pointed out where a crew renovated Grimes' childhood bedroom. It's where she sleeps a little more peacefully today, knowing her home is in good shape.

"I don't know where I would be because I would not be able to buy another home. I just couldn't. So, I cannot even conceive what my life would be like if I had to leave this house," said Grimes.

Thanks to volunteers from both groups, she doesn't have to.

Hands & Hammers and Habitat for Humanity donated the labor. Grimes pays a percentage of the cost of the supplies monthly to Habitat.

Here are several other groups and programs that offer help and loans for repairs:

• Rebuilding Together North Texas
• Habitat for Humanity
• Servolution Network helps veterans, seniors and people with disabilities in and around the Azle community.
• HUD also maintains a list of resources here.
• Texas Veteran Home Improvement Program