Free Home Repair Program for Older Adults

Status: Ongoing

Evaluated

Indianapolis, Indiana United States of America

Print this page City population: 98162815% over 60Practice started in 2013

Summary

The mission of Home Repairs for Good, formerly NeighborLink Indianapolis, is to offer an improved quality of life to very low-income older homeowners and homeowners with disabilities in Indianapolis, Indiana by providing free home repairs and modifications necessary to allow older people to remain in their own homes safely and with dignity. Many of these homeowners are living in unsafe, non-functional, or uninhabitable structures, and losing their homes prematurely because they lack resources to repair or maintain them. Without the necessary resources they have nowhere to turn for help when home-related issues arise.

Home Repairs for Good is both a nonprofit and a general contractor – providing home repair services at no cost to the homeowner. We do this by using a combination of staff, workforce development trainees, volunteers, and subcontractors. When possible, we partner with other organizations to better stretch resources and provide a more extensive repair as is needed.

The repairs provided are critical in nature, focusing on core utilities and the shell of the home. From roof repairs to replacements, water heaters, HVACs, plumbing and electrical – if the home isn’t safe to live in, it can’t support someone aging in place. Considering the average length of time someone we serve has lived in their home is 29 years, many of these homes have no mortgage and are the most affordable home the individual can live in. Making the home safe for them is crucial, and even beyond that, we are stabilizing the home for future generations to have an affordable housing option in the city.

We are funded by donations, grants, and growing our earned income revenue by providing repair services to clients of other organizations for a fee from that organization.

Website: https://www.homerepairsforgood.org/

Key facts

Main target group: Older people in general

Other target group(s): low-income, disabilities, homeowner

Sector(s): Housing

Desired outcome for older people:
Meet their basic needs

Other issues the Age-friendly practice aims to address:

Accessibility
Ageing in place

Contact details

Name: Nelson, Rachel

Email address: info@homerepairsforgood.org

Preferred language(s): English

Age-friendly practice in detail (click to expand):

Engaging the wider community

Project lead: Other

Other project lead: Non-profit leaders

Others involved in the project:

Civil Society Organisation
Older People’s Association
Social or health care provider
Volunteers

How collaboration worked: Home Repairs for Good serves older adults and persons with disabilities across Marion County. Most owner-occupied home repair programs are very geographically focused on certain communities or within development corporations. Home Repairs for Good also continues service for a homeowner, focusing on two repairs at any given time with a new repair being added once one is completed. This differs greatly from most programs that are federally funded and require a one-time touch for the homeowner and a need to reach a certain dollar threshold with the repairs.

Older people’s involvement: Older people were involved in the age-friendly practice at multiple or all stages

Details on older people’s involvement: The organization was founded and developed by a group of retirees – all older adults themselves, many of whom were caring for aging parents and neighbors. It became evident to them there was a gap in the social services around home repair resources for very low income individuals.

Moving forward

Has the impact of this age-friendly practice been analysed: Yes

Was the impact positive or negative:
Positive

Please share with us what you found in detail:
Each year, our average age of homeowner served increases – this confirms the support provided for aging place, whether it is supporting independence through a more aging friendly, mobility supported modification to the home or repairing a critical element within the home to allow someone to remain there safely, we are truly being partners in someones age-in-place goals around home repairs.

Evaluation report: 2025-Impact-Report.pdf

Feedback:
The biggest challenge is turning around projects in a timely manner. Some projects are able to be completed very quickly – drain cleanings, water heater repairs/replacements, grab bars, handrails, etc. Others take time due to funding constraints or weather challenges – roof replacements, gutter repairs/replacements, extensive electrical or plumbing repairs.

Expansion plans:
The first goal is to become more self-sustaining as an organization by further diversifying our revenue. Once more sustainable, we will build capacity to support more workforce development trainees who then can grow our ability to meet more of the need for home repairs while also building a more diverse pipeline of home repair capable community members and construction professionals.

Looking back

Reflections:
The need for critical repairs and remediation is far greater than meets the eye. Homes were already aging when acquired by the older adults we serve – now that many either have had partners and supports pass, their own physical abilities are diminished and their financial state of living off of meager social security checks do not allow them to repair small things before they become huge issues. Years ago, we should have begun the practice of doing whole-home evaluations to have listed the needs and ratings of those needs in our records to better predict the funding needed to help remediate the issues. As it is, we are very constrained by funding and do the best we can to make a space safe. We would prefer to make it safe and lasting or safe and an improved quality of life beyond that one safety issue. For example, Instead of just patching a roof to make it last another three years, we would rather replace it for better longevity and comfort.

Challenges:
Home Repairs for Good focuses in neighborhoods that are historically disinvested in. One challenge we run into is not finding enough subcontractors or knowledgable hands to hire who reflect the communities we’re in. Part of our solution to this was building up our ability to provide hands-on work experience for workforce development programs. There is no better teaching experience than the problem solving challenges within an old home.