Rural Housing Partnership, a Gloucester-based organization, has made numerous home repairs for eligible clients over the years, beginning in 1992 as Gloucester Housing Partnership, an offshoot of the Samaritan Group.
The all-volunteer group began by building ramps for people using wheelchairs or walkers, said Babs Zuhowski, executive director of operations. It then went on to tackle small repairs to make a home safe as the need arose, including patching roofs, repairing HVAC systems, fixing floors and windows, and making bathrooms accessible, in addition to installing ramps.
Now, to fulfill its mission to help homeowners aged 62 and older live sustainably and safely in their own homes, RHP not only changed its name in 2022, but it has also changed its approach to a “one and done” model, seeking to address any and all issues in a home at the same time rather than “doing a patch here and there,” said Zuhowski.
“If people are safe in their home and can age gracefully, they won’t be homele...