Winter 2021
Giving Thanks!
Although Thanksgiving is now behind us, I never want to pass up an opportunity to express gratitude to all of our supporters. With our year-end campaign in full gear, I am thankful for all who have participated - either with a generous one-time donation or a recurring monthly donation. I am also grateful for all the volunteers - both past and present - and, future, that will enable us to serve more neighbors and stretch our resources even further!
I’d like to share a few words from Gretchen West, Executive Director, Healthy Homes, Nationwide Children's Hospital - "Health begins long before you enter the hospital's front doors- A person's ZIP code may be more important than their genetic code. Housing and health are interlinked, and poor housing conditions can have multiple negative health outcomes."
This is why we exist - to help our neighbors live in safer and healthier homes.
Jennifer Molinsky, Ph.D.. Senior Research Association at The Joint Center for Housing Studies, Harvard University states, “As the older population grows, the number of older households facing serious affordability challenges is expected to grow. Low-income older homeowners, in particular, will need significantly greater resources to assist with maintenance, home modifications, and reducing housing costs.”
• Low-income homeowners have most of their wealth in their homes, with very little non-housing wealth. As of 2019, more than 10 million older households are cost-burdened—an all-time high, with about half being severely cost-burdened (meaning they paid more than half of their income on housing).
• Older homeowners who have paid off their mortgages can still be cost-burdened by the combination of utility bills, property taxes and insurance. Yet, the share of older adults carrying mortgages into older age has grown over the past several decades, including those in their 80s and older.
• Those who are cost-burdened spend less on necessities like food and out-of-pocket healthcare costs like prescriptions.
• Accessibility within the home is a major challenge, as the incidence of disability increases with age.
• Data show disabilities occur earlier in life for those with low incomes, Black older adults, and renters.
• Only 3.5% of the nation's housing stock has three main accessibility features important to people with mobility challenges—a no-step entry into the home, single-floor living, and extra-wide doors and hallways.
“Today, most older adults who remain in their homes/are not in residential care rely on unpaid assistance for help with self-care and household tasks. In the future, we anticipate they will rely more on paid care, whether in their own home or in a residential care setting, and both types of care are expensive. The cost of in-home support exceeds the median income of older renters and eats up much of owners' incomes. The costs of assisted living and nursing home care at the national median costs exceed the median income of both older renters and homeowners.”
Rebuilding Together Kent County is uniquely positioned to address the issues that affect our neighbors with disabilities, our low-income neighbors, our seniors and our veterans - right here in Kent County!
I encourage you to join us as we serve our neighbors. Become a monthly supporter. Sign-up to be on our future volunteer list. Share our story. Just call us and ask how you can be involved!
- Wayne
p.s. Please remember National Rebuilding Day (April 30, 2022) - This is the day that nearly every Rebuilding Together affiliate devotes time and resources to doing critical home repairs on a massive scale throughout the county!