HOUSING
Children's Services | Emergency | Energy | Housing | Self-Reliance
RADA volunteer workers take a break from doing
some repair work on the this house`s roof.
SAFE, DRY, and WARM HOMES describing the overall mission for the Housing Division. RADA operates four porgrams that primarily address housing issues. During the 2002-2003 fiscal year, 54 homes were repaired or replaced.
Emergency Home Repair corrects problems affecting the health and safety in homes occupied by low-income residents. RADA can purchase materials up to $500 for each home selected for the program and RADA hosing crew repair the problems. Examples of hazards that are repaired include rotten floors, minor electrical or plumbing problems. Funding Sources include: Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development and Community Services Block Grant.
The Home Repair program operated by RADA is a partnership with Rural Development. Rural development provides one-percent interest loans to low-income households and grants to low-income persons aged 62 or older for home repairs. The funding source is Rural Development, United States Department of Agriculture.
Indoor Plumbing Rehabilitation (IPR) Program was developed to ensure that every resident`s home has an indoor bathroom and running water. If the home can be brought up to Housing Quality Standards adopted by the Virginia Department of Housing and Community Development including the installation of a bathroom for less than $25,000, the home will be renovated; if costs exceed that amount, a new home can be built to replace the existing structure. Frequently, these homes are occupied by the elderly or disabled in our communities.
Water/Waste Water Program pays for the installation of new wells or septic systems where the existing ones fail or for tap fees into public water or sewer systems. They also provide for pumping septic systems and replacing inoperable water heaters. The water table has been declining in the recent past causing wells to become dry and a need to dig new ones. A practice that occurs all too frequently in the area is "straight-piping", or the disposal of raw sewage into creeks. Without the financial resources provided by this program, water would not be available to those who need it and the health of the community could be adversely affected without proper sewage treatment and/or containment. The primary funding source for this program is Southeast Rural Community Assistance Project.