Aging in Place program helps elderly stay in homes

JACKSON, Tenn. — Habitat for Humanity is known for giving houses to people in need, but they do much more than that.

Aging in Place is the program Habitat for Humanity in Jackson uses to repair homes for people over the age of 60 with low income.

The program helps people in both Madison and Haywood County.

Britton Crenshaw, with Habitat for Humanity, says they want to make sure these people are safe in their own home.

“We go in and do new roofs and floor repair. We offer accessibility modifications, like we do ramps or grab bars. Whatever it is we do at the end of the day, we want to let those homeowners be able to stay in their homes longer,” Crenshaw said.

Some of those repairs that the Habitat for Humanity does includes guard rails and steps, which help the residents get in and out of the house much easier.

Crenshaw says they have already helped 25 older community members with the program. They have 13 more that will have repairs finished, hopefully, by spring of next year.

He says once the organization takes in an applicant, they meet with them to ask what repairs they need.

“We do a home assessment to get a chance to see what their home is like and the condition it is in. We give the homeowner the chance to tell us how it happened, and this is the repairs I want made. We match that with our funding and tell them this is the best impact we can do for your home,” Crenshaw said.

He says that being able to help these people in the community is a feeling he never wants to let go.

“It’s truly a comfort to know that you are making a difference,” Crenshaw said. “When you do something like home repairs, you can see that difference being made as it truly gets better. They get excited that they can be safe again in their home.”

For more information on how and where to apply for the Aging in Place program, click here.