To ensure the health and safety of our clients and volunteers and prevent the spread of COVID-19 (coronavirus), National Rebuilding Day projects on Saturday, September 26 are cancelled. We are so appreciative of our community partners for supporting us through this challenging time.
It was not an easy decision to delay the delivery of our services on National Rebuilding Day to the 40+ individuals and families in need of critical home repairs. However, the health and safety of both our clients and volunteers is our top priority.
YOU Raised $1,800 on Virtual Trivia Night
Virtual Trivia Night was a HUGE success! You raised $1,800 while having fun with family, friends, and coworkers. Thank you District Trivia for helping us pull off a great event.
Housing News
September 16, 2020: Communities Can Better Prevent Homelessness through Housing- and Justice-System Partnerships
The pandemic’s devastating health and economic effects and the national reckoning around police brutality and systemic racism have highlighted pervasive inequities in communities across the US. A key issue lies directly at the intersection of those crises: homelessness.
September 14, 2020: New Study Finds Formerly Redlined Neighborhoods Are More at Risk for COVID-19
In collaboration with researchers from the University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee and the University of Richmond, the NCRC study found neighborhoods where discriminatory lending practices once limited access to credit for Black, immigrant and poor Americans have higher rates of COVID-19 comorbidities, such as asthma, chronic obstructive pulmonary disease, diabetes and obesity.
July 30, 2020: We Must ACT Now to Prevent Eviction
President and CEO of ACT for Alexandria Heather Peeler shares her list of action items to protect families from eviction due to COVID-19. She highlights, “The Washington Post recently reported that 20% of renters in the United States are at risk of eviction by Sept. 30. That means 7,000 households in Alexandria are in jeopardy.”
In 1936, Mary Pherribo, a widowed black woman born to parents who had been enslaved, bought a home and it changed her family’s finances for generations.
Today, homeownership rates of black people lag even further behind the rates of white people, affecting their ability to build wealth.
July 17, 2020: Dominion Energy Commits $35 Million to Support Historically Black Colleges and Universities
Dominion Energy commits $25 million for HBCUs and a $10 million scholarship fund supporting African American and underrepresented students across their service territory.
Our President and CEO Katharine Dixon sits on Dominion Energy EnergyShare Board of Advisors and Dominion Energy’s Northern Virginia Community Advisory Board.
June 29, 2020: Virginia Launches COVID-19 Rent and Mortgage Relief Program
The Virginia Rent and Mortgage Relief Program (RMRP) is designed to support and ensure housing stability during the COVID-19 pandemic. This includes financial assistance for rent or mortgage payments past due beginning April 1, 2020 and onward.
June 24, 2020: COVID-19 Action that Centers Black LGBTQ People Can Address Housing Inequities
The COVID-19 pandemic is disproportionately affecting the lives of people who are socially and politically marginalized. The struggles faced by the LGBTQ communities, including high rates of homelessness, significant health disparities, high rates of poverty, and increased likelihood of violent victimization compared with heterosexual and cisgender peers, are amplified by current socioeconomic strains.
June 24, 2020: Affordability Rated Poorly in 2020 Alexandria Resident Survey
The survey found 91% of respondents rated Alexandria positively as a place to live and visit. A total of 86% rated the quality of life positively, and 82% rated their neighborhoods positively. There were 80% who are likely to remain in Alexandria for the next five years, but just46% see it as a place to retire.
June 17, 2020: How Prior Economic Disadvantage Exacerbates Foreclosure Risks for Older Women of Color
The Great Recession disproportionately affected older adults and women of color — groups relying on their homes for both housing stability and wealth. Despite this, research had not examined how mortgage troubles affected financial assets for older women across race and ethnicity. The authors built the work on awareness that initial inequality for a person or group may perpetuate over a life span despite high levels of responsibility and risk aversion.
We are proud to announce that we’ve been selected for the Catalogue for Philanthropy’s 2020-2021 class, highlighting our organization as “one of the best” local nonprofits. In light of the challenges we are facing as a community, hope and resilience are more important than ever. To learn more, visit cfp-dc.org.
May 19, 2020: The 10 Tools You Need for Basic Home Repair
Our homes are getting a lot more use while we shelter in place. Here are the tools you’ll need to handle most projects:
April 22, 2020: What Can State and Local Governments Do to Stabilize Renters during the Pandemic?
As part of the Urban Institute’s exploration of policies to protect people and places from the impacts of COVID-19, researchers will be examining how state and local governments can respond to the tremendous rental housing challenges presented by COVID-19. They will present promising strategies to help states and local areas equitably answer, “What do we do when the rent is due?”
April 15, 2020: Can Strategies for Flu Mitigation among Public Housing and Low-Income Residents Apply to COVID-19?
In times like these, effective emergency preparedness and response strategies are essential for ensuring important safety messages and services reach all populations so everyone understands how to keep themselves and their communities safe and healthy.
A couple of the key findings:
Public housing residents are more likely than the general community to have poor health. Whether through distressed public housing or substandard housing in the private market, low-income households have pre-existing risks of respiratory infections, asthma, lead poisoning, injuries, and mental health problems.
Pre-existing health problems for low-income households may increase susceptibility to a pandemic virus or lead to negative health outcomes from additional time spent at home.
Repairing homes is our tool. Rebuilding lives is our mission. Our volunteers and sponsors give us the opportunity to transform neighborhoods in Washington DC and Alexandria into vibrant places – restoring pride, dignity and hope in our communities.
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The challenges posed by housing maintenance are what we strive to reduce -- see the obstacles we're facing and read the full article on financial difficulties faced by Virginians 👇
