Safe and healthy housing Model
Our Safe and Healthy Housing practice model is the foundation of our home repair and modification work.
Rebuilding Together seeks to advance health equity by improving health and housing outcomes for our neighbors in need in economically distressed communities. Through a collaboration with National Center for Healthy Housing, Rebuilding Together developed a set of 360 specs for common repairs based on the Eight Principles of Healthy Homes. This includes a 25-point framework that targets significant health and safety hazards in homes. Our 25 Health and Safety Priorities provide a common framework for our affiliate network to complete comprehensive in-home assessments and set repair objectives based on each homeowner’s special needs and health status. Each home has varying degrees of need and some projects may only address a single priority, such as installing a ramp, or several items, such as roof repair, energy efficiency upgrades, and grab bars. This framework also provides a means for Rebuilding Together affiliates to track and report the results of our repairs, helping them to set clear expectations with our clients and provide a platform for further partnership and collaboration to meet unmet needs.
Programming
Safe at Home
At Rebuilding Together, we believe that all people should be able to remain safe, healthy and independent in their own homes and communities. According to AARP, nearly 90% of older adults would prefer to stay in their current homes as long as possible. Aging in place is also widely understood to be more cost-effective than nursing homes and assisted living facilities.
Yet most of the existing housing stock in the United States is not designed to accommodate the physical and cognitive changes that come with age. Paying for home modifications is often a financial burden for older adults living on fixed, limited incomes – particularly the lowest-income seniors – who tend to have higher rates of disability and live in older houses. Our Safe at Home program incorporates several key elements, including:
* Falls reduction interventions that minimize the risk of falls in the home
* Home modifications that address the safety and quality of life for the residents
* Fire prevention strategies that reduce the risk of home fires
Our Safe at Home projects are also perfect for homeowners who are living with disabilities. We work with income qualifying individuals and families to make sure their houses are safe and accessable homes for everyone who lives there. Grab bars, level flooring, non-slip surfaces, air purifiers, and ramps are a few of the items RTFMA uses to keep our neighbors safe in their homes.
Green Projects
Rebuilding Together Fargo-Moorhead Area provides eco-friendly repairs and restorations. These projects reduce energy costs for homeowners and contribute to revitalizing neighborhoods. Contractors and volunteers repair or replace items such as HVAC systems, water heaters, siding, windows, and roofs to create dry, well ventilated, eco-friendly homes.
Veteran Projects
Thanks to our grants through HUD's Veterans Housing Rehabilitation and Modification Pilot Program and Housing Assistance Council's Affordable Housing for Rural Veterans we are able to provide assistance to qualifying veterans. Our work allows those who served our country to remain independent, safe, and healthy in their homes.
Rebuilding Together Fargo-Moorhead Area (RTFMA) has a simple mission: “Repairing homes, revitalizing communities, rebuilding lives.”