A New Chapter for Abby: A Critical Home Repair Story
“It seemed like a bottomless pit, and now I have hope that I can stay in my home. It just means so much.”
Abby is proud to have lived in her home near the Catawba River for over 30 years. A Birmingham, Michigan native, she’s traveled all over the country and even lived in San Diego for a few years. But it was her family moving to the Charlotte region that led her and her family to plant roots in North Carolina, where they’ve lived for the past 35 years.
Abby’s home was built in the early 1980s, but in the years since, she has put a lot of work into making it unique. Her ex-husband was a master carpenter and made lots of improvements to the home over the years. She loves the serenity of her home – the Catawba River flows just around the corner, a stream goes through her backyard, and the surrounding trees are lush and peaceful. She’s not far from downtown Belmont, where she enjoys visiting. Her home was her refuge.
Abby has always supported herself by working as a 24-hour emergency delivery service, a job she enjoys for the flexibility. But with that flexibility comes unreliability: she can sometimes go weeks without receiving a call, and thus, income. Living on one source of income, as well as the financial drain of her divorce, meant that she hadn’t been able to take care of her home as it aged and issues came up.
And in the past few years, these issues stacked up so much that it made living in her home a nightmare: leaks in her basement caused mold and mildew that made her sick. Her roof leaked, causing more mold and issues with her electrical wiring, which caused her immense anxiety. Her water heater gave out, meaning that for the past two years, she’s had to bathe and clean her home without hot water. And most difficult of all, Abby couldn’t afford to replace her HVAC unit when it gave out. She has had to endure the frigid winter chill and relentless summer heat by essentially living in just one room of her home, heating and cooling it with space heaters and a small window AC unit. Not only was it unsafe, but it was also miserable: “The rest of my home would be freezing cold or stifling hot,” shared Abby. Simple tasks of cooking and showering were made unbearable in the intense conditions. “It was devastating, having this happen to the home you’ve put so much work into.”
It wasn’t until she learned of Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region’s Critical Home Repair Program from a health surveyor that she realized there was hope. With all the work needing to be done, “I really did not think I was going to be able to stay in my home,” shared Abby. “I just didn’t want to give up the ship and give up everything I’ve worked for – and then Habitat came along and saved me.”
Habitat’s Critical Home Repair (CHR) program serves individuals just like Abby – who, with repairs to critical issues in their houses, will be able to stay in their homes they’ve loved and lived in for so much of their lives, allowing them to age in place safely and comfortably while simultaneously preserving the supply of affordable housing. The issues Abby faced – a lack of access to energy efficient, functioning water heaters and HVAC systems, a failing roof, and more – are common issues many homeowners face. In the past fiscal year alone (FY25), Habitat’s CHR team has replaced over 80 HVAC systems, 74 water heaters, 71 roofs, as well as a range of other critical repair structural, functional, and accessibility-related repairs. And as the summer heats up and seasons continue to intensify, the stress of maintaining air conditioning is exacerbated. This work is important to the health and safety of our community, now more than ever.
Habitat Charlotte Region’s Critical Home Repair team finished repairs on Abby’s home this Spring. The skilled construction team replaced her entire roof and resolved the electrical hazards, freeing Abby of the worry of the risk of fire. Her water heater and HVAC unit were both replaced with new, energy efficient models, not just helping her stay cool and comfortable all year long but helping keep her energy costs down as well. “Thankfully, during summertime, I’ll enjoy proper air conditioning and have reliable heat to keep me warm in winter. It had been a rough year and a half living without,” said Abby. The leak causing mold and mildew in her home was repaired, the diseased walls and trim were removed and replaced, and Abby feels healthier already. The Habitat team “did such an outstanding job! I can’t say enough good things.”
Finally, after a difficult past few years, Abby feels like she can focus on herself again. “I feel like I’ve aged a lot in the past few years,” she shared. “Habitat has restored my faith in the world and in myself.”
Habitat Charlotte’s Critical Home Repair program is made possible by the generosity of funders including the City of Charlotte, Duke Energy Corporation, The Davidson Community Foundation, Lowe’s Companies, Inc., Mecklenburg County, The Merancas Foundation, North Carolina Housing Finance Agency, The Town of Davidson, United Way of Greater Charlotte, and US Department of Agriculture. Thanks to these funders, homeowners like Abby can safely stay in their homes for years to come.