Submitted by Tacoma/Pierce County Habitat for Humanity.
February is National Senior Independence Month and what better time to highlight our Aging in Place program, which helps create an environment of self-sufficiency for income-qualified, elder homeowners. Home maintenance and repair becomes increasingly challenging as people age. Market-rate repairs are prohibitively expensive, and waitlists for City and County loans can be six months or more. For many, the struggle to affordably maintain their homes results in unsafe living conditions that threaten their health and well-being. Tacoma Habitat is honored to help our elders through low-cost repair and modifications.
Ernest is a recent Aging in Place client, and an Army veteran who served in both Iraq and Afghanistan before injuries to both knees forced him to retire just shy of 20 years of service. He also cares for his wife who has significant health issues and is currently dealing with a fractured hip. When the couple’s furnace, which hadn’t been working well for some time, went out last spring, Ernest said he started looking for “any program that could help.” He found Tacoma Habitat’s Aging in Place program, and the team replaced the old furnace with a new HVAC system.
With the new, more-efficient heating system Ernest says he is easily saving $200 per month on utility bills. “I am just so grateful for this help. Especially with my wife unable to leave the house. It’s so nice to have heat we can count on. We can’t thank Habitat enough for helping us out.”
With support and resources, aging seniors like Ernest can continue to live a fairly independent life.
