East Austin Homeowners to Get Mini “Extreme Makeover”

Austin, Texas (October 19, 2006) – Over 300 community volunteers will come together to perform a mini version of “Extreme Home Makeover” for up to 20 homeowners in the Rosewood and Chestnut neighborhoods of Central East Austin as part of the 8th annual Raise the Roof event on Saturday, October 21, 2006.

Raise the Roof is a community-oriented project hosted by the City of Austin Department of Neighborhood Housing and Community Development and Hands on Housing. It partners volunteers with skilled contractors to assist with the refurbishing of homes owned by low-to-moderate income homeowners, including the elderly and disabled. Projects for the day range from painting, fencing, plumbing, electrical work and yard clean-ups to new roofs.

“Hands On Housing does this work all year long with church and community groups and local businesses, but Raise the Roof is a really exciting day that highlights the great work of the volunteers,” says Hugh Sparks, Program Coordinator for Hands on Housing. “The majority of our clients are senior citizens and people with disabilities on a fixed income, so this is a very valuable service for them.” In fact, Hands On Housing estimates the benefit to the community to be $185,000 for volunteer labor, materials and repairs for this one event.

Twenty-three percent of homeowners in the two neighborhoods are 55 or older on a fixed income and many have lived in their homes for years. With median household incomes of less than $25,703 per year in the designated neighborhoods, Raise the Roof is an important event for homeowners who might not otherwise be able to afford repairs.

This is the first year that Raise the Roof will have a corporate sponsor. “KB Home is proud to partner with the City of Austin and Hands on Housing to sponsor the 8th annual Raise the Roof event,” says Ken Langston, KB Home Austin President. “With our tools, sweat and determination, we're going to make a difference.”

KB Home’s sponsorship of this year’s Raise the Roof will provide skilled labor and more materials for repairs. “This is our way of helping our neighbors restore their homes so that they don't have to worry about their safety and they can live more comfortably,” says Langston.

“This is the eighth year we have helped host Raise the Roof. Every year we see what a difference volunteers can make in the lives of the homeowners we serve,” says Paul Hilgers, Director of Neighborhood Housing and Community Development. “This is a wonderful event that creates a real sense of community pride and provides homeowners with a valuable service.”

Raise the Roof will be held October 21, from 8:00am to 5:00pm at the Alamo Recreation Center at 2100 Alamo Street, with a lunch for the volunteers at noon.

The City of Austin is committed to compliance with the Americans with Disabilities Act (ADA) and Section 504 of the Rehabilitation Act of 1973, as amended. Reasonable modifications and equal access to communications will be provided upon request. Please call 974-3100 (voice) or 974-3102 (TDD) for assistance. This project is made possible by funding from HUD through the City of Austin.

CONTACT: Jackie Mayo, AHFC, 974-3121 (voice), 802-7108 (pager)