United Way of the Coastal Empire announces the launch of Housing Heroes, a pilot program designed to help vulnerable homeowners stay in their homes. The program, which grew out of the Housing Savannah Action Plan, harnesses United Way’s skill with volunteers to bring new energy and focus to an existing City of Savannah program that benefits lower-income senior citizens, veterans, and those with differing abilities.

 “Housing Heroes is intended to enhance an already successful program of minor home repairs offered by the City of Savannah,” says Kendall McKnight, projects manager with United Way of the Coastal Empire, who will supervise the program. “By tapping into the power of United Way to muster dedicated volunteers, we expect to increase the number of homes repaired each year. It’s a direct and tangible way to improve the lives of more residents and advance our goal of safe and stable housing for our community.”

Housing Heroes projects will be tailored to the needs of individual homeowners and their homes. Based on previous experience, the most requested repairs include exterior painting, landscaping, ramp constructions, and roof repair, although other repairs will also be considered.

”A minor repair to one person is an insurmountable hurdle for someone else,” said McKnight. “This work will protect the safety and the dignity of some of our more vulnerable neighbors.”

 A Housing Heroes team consists of eight to 15 volunteers and a team captain. The captain will meet with city officials and McKnight in advance to review project details before the date that volunteers gather to carry them out. Volunteers of all levels and skill sets are needed to carry out the projects.

Housing Heroes will work for three weeks in 2024: April 15-21, the official launch of the project; June 3-9, and September 16-22.

Volunteers who are interested can contact [email protected] or visit https://uwce.org/volunteer-opportunities/.

Applicants who want to discover if they are eligible for Housing Heroes help can contact https://www.savannahga.gov/3398/Homeowners.