Restoring Dignity in Gaston County: Tony's Critical Home Repair Story
Written by Elsa Conklin, Senior Content Marketing Specialist
Tony Starnes, born and raised in Gastonia, North Carolina, holds up a photo of his great-grandfather, Jasper Fair Senior, and his aunt. Jasper built this home by hand in the 1940s – the very home that Tony was born in and still lives in today. He worked as a traveling nurse for 32 years across the Southeast, delivering compassionate care to patients. But a severe, undiagnosed latex allergy, caused by a reaction to the gloves Tony wore for work, cut his years as a working nurse short. He now shares his home with his dog, Junior B. His home means the world to him.
Unfortunately, Tony’s home needed significant repairs, with severe structural damage in the kitchen and critical accessibility needs in the bathroom. The deterioration was so advanced that the gas line had to be shut off out of concern that the sagging floor might rupture the supply pipe. Tony had to carefully walk around the edges of his kitchen floor to avoid falling through. These necessary repairs have piled up over the years, but on a fixed income, Tony didn’t have the resources to restore his home.
These kinds of critical repairs are unfortunately far too familiar to much of our community. As the U.S. housing stock ages, many homes need critical repairs to ensure safety, energy efficiency and accessibility. But making significant repairs or upgrades can be cost-prohibitive for low- to moderate-income households. This results in many homeowners, often older adults, living in homes that pose severe safety hazards to their health, especially considering the potential mobility challenges that come with age. As we face a severe housing affordability crisis and affordable housing shortage, we must preserve the affordable homes that families already call home.
Habitat Charlotte Region’s Critical Home Repair program addresses this issue head-on and helps ensure families are safe and comfortable in their homes for years to come. And with our 2024 merger with Habitat for Humanity of Gaston County, we now can bring this program to a community that desperately needs it. We are proud to have served 146 homeowners through this program in fiscal year 2025, and expanding our services to Gaston County is a key focus in our work moving forward. Tony is one of the very first homeowners to receive critical home repair services in Gaston County, where we’ve received significant interest for the program since the launch.
Now, when asked how he feels after repairs were completed, Tony shared, “I sleep good at night now.” Habitat’s construction team fully replaced the gas and water pipes that were failing beneath his sagged floors, and Tony’s floors were rebuilt sturdily and safely. The team fully replaced the rotted exterior window trim, repaired safety hazards in the bathroom, and converted the bathtub into a tub with grab bars to maximize accessibility. His kitchen cabinets and counters were replaced, as well as his stove, giving Tony a proper place to cook. “This time last year, I didn’t have nothing,” shared Tony. “Now, I don’t have to worry about nobody trying to break through my windows or stuff like that. It’s like a whole new house.”
Beyond just restoring safety and comfort to Tony’s beloved family home, these critical repairs restored something else: his dignity. Tony is proud of his home. Now, he can enjoy it in peace, rather than stress about the maintenance he can’t keep up with. After years of stress and worry, Tony can finally say, “I am at peace.”