Dave moved into his southeast Portland home six years ago. As a veteran of the U.S. Navy, he used a VA loan for first-time homebuyers. The water pressure was a bit low, and it was an old house. But it was near his daughter, Angela. 

After some time, Dave started to notice issues with the drains. Periodic clogs became permanent problems. Eventually, he resorted to doing dishes in his bathtub because the kitchen plumbing no longer worked. 

“I have a bad back and it was very difficult and hard on me physically,” Dave said. “I kept getting sick too, but I think it was because the dishes weren’t getting very clean.” 

This went on for seven months. Angela tried to help her dad unclog the drains, but found they were essentially just burrowing through mud. “His drains were basically just crumbling in on themselves since his plumbing was so old,” she recalled. 

To make matters worse, the gutters over Dave’s front door had fallen off. This created a waterfall right at the main entrance. Dave worried that these big problems would only intensify over time. But being on low-income retirement and disabled, he didn’t see a way to fix them. 

Then Angela called 211, a free service that connects people to local community resources. They learned that Habitat’s Home Repair Program helps provide critical home improvements to eligible homeowners. Projects often include roof or siding replacement, and modifications for mobility and ADA-accessibility. 

The Home Repair team conducted an assessment and determined all of the plumbing supply lines in Dave’s home needed to be replaced. That means removing the old pipes, making a new layout, installing modern materials, fitting and testing connections, and then patching up access openings. 

It would be an intensive project. But the work would come at no cost to Dave, thanks to The Home Depot Foundation’s Veteran Initiative. The grant generously funds critical repairs on the homes of veterans. 

“It is definitely one of the best things that has happened in my life,” Dave said. 

Habitat’s Home Repair team also replaced all the gutters and downspouts on Dave’s house. And they installed a new electricity grounding system and electrical panel. 

Dave is now much more at ease and no longer worried about his safety at home. 

“It feels like winning the lottery and I’ve never been so happy to wash dishes in my life,” Dave said. “I could not have gotten these repairs done without their help.” 

To learn more and apply for the Habitat’s Home Repair Program, visit https://habitatportlandregion.org/programs/home-repair