HILLSBOROUGH COUNTY, Fla. — In East Tampa, there are homes in need of repairs. From deteriorating roofs to broken fences, people living in the area tell ABC Action News help was needed.
"I was doing what I could buy myself but had limited funds," Homeowner, Willie Kelly, said.
The Tampa Community Redevelopment Agency is teaming up with Habitat for Humanity to fund roof replacements and revamp existing homes in East Tampa neighborhoods.
“East Tampa has been a neighborhood that hasn't had a lot of re-development in certain areas, and the homes were deteriorating. So, in an effort to remediate those issues, we just started to go and ask the community what are their needs. It's visible that, you know, there's blue tarps all around. It’s visible that painting is needed, those type of resources. So, we just wanted to make sure that we could provide a program to get those done," Be Parks, with Community Redevelopment Agency, said.
The CRA is offering grants of up to $15,000 as part of the new emergency roof repairs program, which helps homeowners like Shirley Wentworth feel safe in her own home and stay there for years to come.
“This roof hadn't been done in so many years. And I'm blessed I did not have a leak. But you could tell it needed some work. The back of my house was falling, falling apart, you know, and now it’s beautiful," Wentworth said.
It’s a reliable home Wentworth’s family can enjoy now, too.
“Grandma, I like your house. That’s what they say. Grandma, that’s so pretty!” Wentworth explained.
Volunteers tackled homes on Star St. in East Tampa as they painted the exterior and planted flowers, all while leaving homeowners feeling grateful.
"I said, lord, thank you. That’s all I could say. Because I know I wasn’t in a position to get, it done. I didn’t have the money to get it done, and the lord was the only way out. So, I thank him and when they come along, that was even better," Kelly added.
If you live in Tampa, you can also apply for a grant through the City's Community Redevelopment Agency for your home.
