Dayton Habitat for Humanity may pilot move into rehabs, repairs

DAYTON — Habitat for Humanity, building homes in the Dayton area for 25 years now, is looking at expanding its mission to include home repairs and rehab work, a sorely needed service in a community hammered by foreclosures, unemployment and deteriorating housing stock, its leaders said last week.

“There’s a huge need for it,” said Diane Graham, executive director of Dayton Ohio Habitat for Humanity.

Dayton Habitat could learn by the end of this month if it will be one of 50 to 60 pilot projects nationwide under Habitat for Humanity International’s new Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative.

In addition to painting homes, weatherization work and replacing or repairing porches, roofs and the like, Habitat is encouraging its affiliates to invest in existing housing stock rather than new home construction, said Mark Andrews, Habitat’s senior director of U.S. operations.

In Dayton and major cities across the nation, “the case for building new is pretty tough to make because there are so many foreclosed properties,” Andrews said.

“So a lot of our affiliates are purchasing foreclosed homes after they come up for sale, rehabbing them and turning them into Habitat homes,” he said.

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