Low-income seniors, veterans and disabled residents who need help keeping their homes warm and safe will have a helping hand, thanks to a partnership announced today by Mayor Ravenstahl made possible by a $500,000 grant from The Home Depot Foundation.  The collaborative effort, called the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership, will streamline the work of homeowner support groups and utilize community volunteers to rehab and weatherize approximately 70 homes in low-income neighborhoods over the next two years.

The Mayor and Kelly Caffarelli, president of The Home Depot Foundation, joined with the City’s Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA), Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development (PPND), and several nonprofit agencies kicked off the partnership at the Southwestern Veterans’ Center in East Liberty where more than 100 volunteers were working to weatherize and rehab the center.

“We’re excited to be partnering with The Home Depot Foundation, yet again, to improve the quality of life for our City’s most vulnerable residents,” Ravenstahl said. “Up until now, residents who needed help making costly and necessary home repairs had to navigate through several different support agencies. Now, we are streamlining this process and putting more muscle behind it with help from Home Depot and community volunteers so that we can touch more residents in need more efficiently.”

“We are honored to be a part of the City of Pittsburgh’s efforts to repair homes for veterans, seniors and people with disabilities who are facing serious economic challenges,” said Kelly Caffarelli, president, The Home Depot Foundation. “The cornerstone of our lives is usually the place we call home…where we gather with our families and friends…and we are proud that our grant funding and the volunteer efforts of our associates will help the Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership  to repair and refurbish homes for those who are most in need of help.”

Through the partnership, home repair agencies and community volunteers with the Mayor’s servePGH initiative will connect with home repair agencies to make life-safety and weatherization repairs such as handicapped accessibility upgrades; plumbing, electrical and utility improvements; structural integrity upgrades; and homeowner counseling services.  The partnership will initially serve low-income seniors, veterans and disabled residents and families that have already been awaiting much-needed services from the partner agencies.  

Community groups and non-profit organizations will help to select the additional homes to be rehabbed in the City’s East End neighborhoods of East Liberty, Larimer, Garfield, and Homewood. Interested volunteers may find more information at servepgh.pittsburghpa.gov.

“PPND is excited and encouraged about the impact that this partnership will have on our City’s neighborhoods and residents,” said Ellen Kight, President of PPND.  “At PPND, we are committed to building healthy communities which are great places to live, work and play.  This vision would not be possible without strong partnerships.  We have seen first-hand, the power of collaboration and the influence it can have on the ultimate success of a program or project.  We are honored to be partnering with Home Depot, The Mayor and the URA.”

The Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership is a joint effort of Mayor Ravenstahl, the Urban Redevelopment Authority, Pittsburgh Partnership for Neighborhood Development, The Home Depot Foundation, and the following organizations: ACTION-Housing, Inc., Hosanna Industries, Nazareth Housing Services, NeighborWorks Western PA, Pittsburgh Community Services, Inc., The Pittsburgh Project, Rebuilding Together Pittsburgh, and Three Rivers Center for Independent Living.

Since its formation in 2002, The Home Depot Foundation has granted more than $270 million to nonprofit organizations improving homes and lives in local communities. Follow the Foundation on Twitter @homedepotfdn and Facebook www.facebook.com/homedepotfoundation.

For photos of the event, click here: http://www.pittsburghpa.gov/mayor/photos