New Analysis Shows Successes, Lessons Learned from Home Repair Program

Today, PA Stands Up, a grassroots member organization working to build power across race, place, and generation to build a Pennsylvania for all, and Dēmos, a nonprofit public policy organization, released a joint case study highlighting the success of the Whole Home Repairs Campaign, which developed broad-based, bipartisan support for a statewide program to help improve housing quality. This campaign secured $125 million in federal funding under the  American Rescue Plan Act for the Whole Home Repairs program to provide funding to low-income Pennsylvania residents for home repairs and weatherization.  

“The Whole Home Repairs program has been a game changer for low-income communities across the Commonwealth,” said Carrie Santoro, Executive Director at Pennsylvania Stands Up. “It has ensured that homeowners who might not have the means to keep their aging homes habitable and certainly don’t have the means for weatherization upgrades get the home renovations they need to withstand the increasing impacts of climate change.” 

According to DCED, as of June 30, 2024, a total of 1,151 homes have been repaired, benefiting 5,667 residents. About 1,200 additional applicants have been identified to receive funding.  

The success of the Whole Home Repairs program serves as a testament to the immense, and often untapped, power of community organizing, co-governance, and leveraging public funds for the public good

“The success of the Whole Home Repairs program serves as a testament to the immense, and often untapped, power of community organizing, co-governance, and leveraging public funds for the public good,” said Dani Zessoules, Senior Policy Analyst at Dēmos. “With its successful advocacy, the statewide coalition of community organizations, advocates, and workers has helped thousands of Pennsylvania residents access funding for critical home repairs. And they’ve have also left a roadmap for grassroots and policymakers to enact similar programs across the country and help thousands of more people.” 

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Dēmos is a non-profit public policy organization working to build a just, inclusive, multiracial democracy and economy. We work hand in hand to build power with and for Black and brown communities, forging strategic alliances with grassroots and state-based organizations.