Maintaining affordable properties is crucial to keeping people housed. With many low-income residents and seniors struggling to keep up with the cost of repairs, this could lead to the loss of valuable housing in Santa Barbara.
"It is very difficult, you work all your life, you are a proud citizen, you are eager to achieve, and then it gets to a point where you only have your social security income," said Santa Barbara homeowner, Teresa Cardenas.
As a senior living on a fixed income, Cardenas says the significant repairs to her home were much more than she could afford.
Cardenas's home is more than 30 years old, her roof leaked, there was water damage and mold inside, and she had a troubling rodent infestation. All of which Habitat for Humanity of Santa Barbara fixed.
"It is really hard to ask for help and I appreciate their professionalism and their kindness," said Cardenas.
Susan Renehan of Habitat for Humanity says that many homes they repair have immediate health and safety risks but the cost is too great for residents to do themselves.
"A roof replacement is a $25,000 repair, say they make $12,000 a year that repair is just out of reach for them. We’ve been invited into homes where people show us holes in the floor, their homes are literally falling down around them," said Susan Renehan with Habitat for Humanity
According to Habitat for Humanity, there is a profound need for home repair assistance in Santa Barbara: among homeowner-occupied households, a total of 3,770 are low-income, and of those, a total of 2,275 (more than 60%) have at least one major housing problem and the average age of Habitat for Humanity home repair clients is 78.
While all of their home repair clients are low-income, making less than 80% of the Area Median Income as defined by the Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD), many are considered Very Low Income, with annual incomes of less than $20,000.
"If that house gets condemned, it’s going to be demolished and turned into a market rate home and that affordable unit is gone," said Renehan.
Cardena's home was the 200th home repair completed by Habitat for Humanity since 2011, now that her home is safe, she has a new goal.
"In the future, I’m going to see if they will accept me as a volunteer," said Cardenas.
To learn more or apply for home repairs visit: www.sbhabitat.org
