Since 1978, the Home Repair for the Elderly Program (HREP) has helped Fairfax County residents who own or reside in their own homes make repairs and accessibility improvements to allow them to continue safely residing in their homes — as well as reducing utility costs through plumbing repair and energy efficiency. Even as a manufactured home or a condo, a house in any condition can be repaired. As an income-based program, there are certain criteria that residents must meet, including being at least 62 years old or with a disability.
Upon enrollment and acceptance, residents are allocated $1,000 in material costs and associated labor which they can use over a five-year period. These material and labor costs are paid for by county and federal funds.
Then, the HREP team will travel to homes and perform minor construction and services, including electrical, windows and doors, plumbing, and more.
“If they need a toilet replaced, then we’ll go out, we’ll buy the toilet, and our employees will go and install it. And then that just gets deducted from their $1,000 worth of materials,” said HREP Program Supervisor Patrick Tomlinson.
After that five-year period, residents may reapply.
Through the years, HREP has improved and enhanced its program. The program has now expanded to two workshop locations, which became beneficial when serving the whole county. It also becomes flexible for employees when traveling with a provided vehicle from the program to different areas in the county. With their own program vehicle, they’re also able to haul abundant amounts of materials to homes and back to the workshop.
“A lot of our residents can have issues with HOA, you know their screens can be in disrepair so we can pull the screens down and take them back to the shop,” said Tomlinson. “Then we can repair them and then reinstall the screens.”
Accessibility can become a concern in outdated and older homes, going as far back as the 1950s, over time. Some housing may have bathrooms with 24-inch wide doors which can be difficult if a resident is using a walker. The installation of grab bars and other services provided by the HREP team help the residents safely perform daily activities.
“Ultimately the goal is to let them safely stay in their homes as long as possible,” said Tomlinson. “Safety is one of the big things we focus on.”
Working in a range of homes can be challenging at times, especially when being called on to replace items that are no longer made. Even with compatibility issues, they’ll try to match the replacements as best as they can. However, sometimes houses built in the 1940s and 1950s repairs become harder when items are no longer manufactured.
“It’s nice that they trust us to come into their homes and perform work,” said Tomlinson. “But it’s also really nice when they take the time to reach out and just say ‘I really appreciate what you guys did.’”
Those interested in participating in this program can find more information here or call 703-246-5179.