2021 Open Doors Homeownership Grant Recipients

Open Door Homeownership Grant Recipients 2021
Community Housing Solutions of Guilford County

$25,000 - Community Housing Solutions of Guilford County – NC



Community Housing Solutions (CHS) is a small nonprofit in Greensboro, North Carolina, that has repaired more than 1,300 homes and invested more than $10 million in preserving affordable housing to low-income families since 2002. Their current project addresses the East Greensboro area where a tornado impacted over 1,200 structures in 2018; 600 of those structures were single family homes. Three years later, vacant lots can still be found in these neighborhoods where homes used to stand. Some homes are left deteriorating, exposing the neighborhood to health and safety threats in what was already a historically low-income area. CHS is currently building and renovating six homes that were devastated by the tornado. Each home will use SystemVision standards such as smart ventilation systems, closed crawl spaces, air sealing, 6-inch wall studs for added insulations, energy efficient heating and cooling systems, and Energy Start appliances. CAHEC’s grant will provide the funding necessary to build each of these homes to SystemVision standards ensuring an energy efficient home for first-time low-income homebuyers.

Southern Appalachian Labor School

$15,000 - Southern Appalachian Labor School – WV



Formed from the West Virginia Institute of Technology in 1981, the Southern Appalachian Labor School (SALS) provides education, research, affordable housing, and linkages for low-income people in order to promote understanding, empowerment, change, and decent living conditions for people in Appalachia. They offer after-school and summer-school programs for youth, and programs for low-income housing and rehabilitation of homes. Many homes throughout West Virginia’s housing footprint are dilapidated coal camp owner-occupied homes, most of which are still in use and not equipped with adequate structural soundness, heating, insulation, plumping, and electrical safety. Over the next two years, SALS plan to weatherize 20 homes, including the replacement of windows and insulation, and the installation of wheelchair ramps, roofs, weatherized painting, and structural stabilizations. They will be using CAHEC’s funding to cover insurance, materials, and transportation to the scattered rural sites.

Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay

$10,000 - Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay – FL



For over 20 years, Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay (RTTB) has been committed to the preservation and creation of safe, healthy, and affordable housing. Since 2009, RTTB has invested well over $5 million to revitalize the Sulpher Springs neighborhood with new construction homes and weatherization upgrades to existing structures through their Safe and Healthy Home (SHH) Program. Through this program, they partnered with the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County to track outcomes of their weatherization efforts. With those results, they were able to develop a list of common repairs and services that together improve the housing conditions and indoor air quality providing asthmatic children with a healthier home environment. Over the next two years, they will continue this work by impacting a minimum of 200 homes through weatherization efforts like replacing doors and windows, making light fixtures more energy efficient, replacing A/C units, and insulating water heaters with heater blankets. RTTB will be using our funding to address the needs of 16 homes in their footprint.