Greater Albuquerque Habitat for Humanity received a grant from State Farm in the amount of $25,000 for its new home repair program in Sandoval County.
The national housing project announced that it would be joining the Sandoval County community last October.
“The new program differs from our current preservation and repair program in that we will be working with large system repairs — roofing, HVAC, plumbing, electrical, window replacement — as opposed to our current program, which concentrates on smaller exterior repairs,” Liz Vincent, Habitat’s director of development, said.
The repair programs benefit senior citizens and low-income individuals, veterans and others who have neither the money nor the ability to repair their home. Habitat for Humanity says the programs improve property values for the homeowners and their neighborhoods while ensuring people at risk live in safe, updated and secure homes.
“These funds will be combined with a CDBG grant we are receiving from the city of Rio Rancho. We have identified over 300 homes in the area that need these repairs,” Vincent added.Habitat projects use volunteer labor whenever possible. Depending on the task, that could involve people with minimal experience, other more experienced volunteers who are part of a “special work assignment team” (SWAT), or students in trade schools working on something specific such as HVAC or plumbing.Habitat for Humanity invites the public to volunteer. For group scheduling or questions, email [email protected] or call 505-359-2432.