A. The work we do is important on a personal level, but it also impacts our city as a whole. For the long-time homeowners, these houses are filled with memories: of shared accomplishments, families raised and of lives lived with honesty and integrity.  Helping these homes “age gracefully” enables their longtime occupants to age in place in surroundings that are both familiar and friendly.  In addition, the work we do is important to Houston’s urban revitalization efforts.  Home by home and block by block, Rebuilding Together Houston brings about positive changes in communities throughout our city.

A. Most of our funding is for people over the age 62.  They must own their home, and have a total income between 50 and 80 percent of the average median income for the Houston area.  With these criteria met, homeowners may begin the application process through Rebuilding Together Houston.  Once an application is completed and approved, the home goes on a waiting list until the funding and volunteer resources are available to facilitate repairs. 

A. Yes, we invite interested outside parties to encourage elderly homeowners to participate in our programs.  It’s important that all qualifying documents are available and can be submitted in the application process.

A. For a home that receives a new roof, an interior repair (usually electrical and/or plumbing), as well as work done to the outside of the house by one of our volunteer crews, the total value of materials and services rendered can reach upwards of $15,000 to $20,000, although these type of all-inclusive projects are not the norm for what we typically do.  The average value of one of our Volunteer Home Repair Projects is about $9,000.

A. All requests to get on the RTH bid list for work should be sent to info@rt-houston.org where they will be forwarded to our director of construction, Tim Rogers.

A. Absolutely!  There are painting, lawn work, and cleanup tasks to do on almost every house.  Many volunteers with little or no “do-it-yourself” experience find that our work sites are a great place to make new friends and learn new skills.  Some of our long-time volunteers started out as novices and have become experts at home repair...which can come in handy around their own homes and save a lot of money! 

A. We recommend you first find others with whom you may work; attend church; or be members in a social, fraternal or service organization, who are interested in giving back to the community through the unique opportunities Rebuilding Together provides.  The ideal size for one of our volunteer crews is between 15 and 25 people.  Critical to the success of one of our volunteer program is the selection and performance of a volunteer crew leader.  In advance of our Volunteer Home Repair Program build-outs in the spring and the fall, we conduct crew leader training and offer a great deal of moral support and encouragement.  Most crew leaders and many volunteers tell us their involvement with Rebuilding Together is one of the most satisfying and gratifying experiences of their lives.