During the winter season, lots of us secure our homes for a few months of harsh weather.
But not everybody can afford to do that.
Many folks, especially the elderly, have older homes with leaky roofs, and with each drip, their investment slips a little further away.
Now, a community group plans to step in with some grant money from the City of Waco to put secure roofs over people’s heads.
In stormy weather, Alton Jefferson can’t sleep because of the dripping sounds inside his house.
"There’s a leak up here that keeps leaking and two buckets right here on the floor," Jefferson said.
The Waco ISD retiree doesn’t have the cash for a new roof… and wishes he did.
"(The leak started) a couple of years ago. Well, when it rains real hard sometimes I have leaks in the bedroom,” said Jefferson.
Now, a community development group may come to his rescue.
Grassroots Community Development just got a grant from the City of Waco to put new roofs on the homes of people who can’t afford it, like Jefferson.
"We go in and we strip the roof down to the decking if it has decking, and if there isn’t decking, because some don’t have decking, we’ll deck it and come back and paper and shingles and make it all nice and tidy,” said Mike Stone of Grassroots.
He says the new roofs help preserve houses that might get torn down from years of leaks and rot, while also preserving neighborhoods and property values.
"We have about $180,000 (from grant funding). With that, we can fix around 30 homes,” said Stone.
To qualify, you have to live in Waco and meet income requirements. Grassroots has a tall stack of applications ready to go.
Jefferson says a new roof on his home of 35 years will not just help him, but keep his neighborhood looking nice, too.
"It’ll save me some money because I don’t’ have a lot of money to spend on a new roof. I need a new roof so it’s well-needed for the neighborhood and my house,” Jefferson said.
Grassroots plans build the new roofs in January. If you’d like to apply, visit the Grassroots website.
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