Paradise home repair program gets funding from Springs Close Foundation

An in-demand home repair program in Paradise is getting a boost.

The Springs Close Foundation will partner with Habitat for Humanity of York County to work with a neighborhood revitalization program. The foundation joins other corporate partners like Comporium, which sent volunteers to complete repairs in September.

The foundation committed $20,000 for work on five homes in Paradise.

“This funding is going to be for critical home repair,” said Angela McCrae, foundation president. “We’re pleased to be part of this program.”

In late 2014, Habitat chose four Paradise homes for projects including a new roof, handicap ramp, painting and deck repairs. Homes on Joe Louis and Steele streets were among 22 countywide. Early this year, Habitat returned with applications for more projects.

About 60 people showed up for the meeting. Habitat received 35 applications. The group prioritized projects based on how they would improve home safety, then the impact on critical systems like heating and cooling.

One of the older neighborhoods inside Fort Mill town limits, Paradise has a lower median income than most of the newer subdivisions that have sprung up since the 1990s. Many residents applying for and receiving support are seniors or disabled. The demographics that classify Paradise as a low-income community helped the town secure a $500,000 federal grant for infrastructure improvements and other neighborhood projects.

Due to partnerships like those with the Springs Close Foundation and Comporium, Habitat will help 28 families this year – three in Rock Hill, three in Clover and 22 in Paradise.

“The extensive work we have undertaken this year would not be possible without the support of more than 1,000 volunteers who contributed some 7,000 hours,” said Tim Veeck, Habitat executive director. “The repairs are significantly more challenging but when completed will dramatically improve the safety and health of the residents.”

As homeowners watched volunteers repair their homes earlier this fall, many said they would feel safer once the work was complete. Some homeowners from the first round of repairs said access ramps and other additions wouldn’t have been possible without the Habitat program.

Ray Thompson, who lives where Berry Street meets Joe Louis, is getting new windows, insulation, an access door out back and work on his porch. These are all projects he said he isn’t able to do on his own.

“These are a lot of older homes,” said Thompson. “I appreciate them doing it.”

Electrical work, plumbing and other projects can help avoid later problems in those homes, Veeck said.

“Many of the homeowners are living on fixed incomes and do not have the resources to make the needed repairs without some assistance,” he said. “If left unaddressed, these issues will magnify and adversely impact the health and safety of the families.”

“We are grateful for the work that is improving the safety and well-being of seniors in the Paradise community,” McCrae said.

The state-administered community block grant Fort Mill received about a year ago is paying for several Paradise improvements, including new sidewalks, water line work, community signs and demolition of vacant properties.

This story was originally published November 19, 2015 at 5:04 PM with the headline "Paradise home repair program gets funding from Springs Close Foundation."