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Ms. S. purchased her first home in 2023 using the District of Columbia Housing Assistance Purchase Program, HPAP. She was thrilled to be in her own home and providing a stable, functional house for herself and daughter. But the thrill was short-lived as plumbing problems literally dampened the joy. With few extra financial resources to address the needed repairs, Ms. S. was forced to stop using some of the bathroom fixtures, one by one.
Ms. S. reached out to Yachad earlier this spring. She was referred by Lydia's House, one of our community partners. Work began on her house immediately to repair plumbing leaks and the impacted drywall. Unfortunately, we simply couldn't work fast enough as the video shows. It's heart breaking watching the second floor bathroom gushing water into the first floor kitchen.
Acker & Sons, Yachad's long-time plumbing contractor, diagnosed that the tub drain was leaking into the kitchen ceiling requiring extensive repair. The original installation done by the former owner or rehabber, wasn’t done correctly. With Yachad’s resources, Acker will replace the tub drain and "repipe" the entire bathroom. We will then replace all the damaged drywall.
Yachad provides services to dozens of homeowners annually. More than half of these families purchased their home within the past five years using D.C. HPAP and are facing serious and expensive home repair needs without the resources to pay for them. Owning a home is a major way for families to build wealth for themselves and future generations. However, home ownership must be sustainable, especially for financially fragile families and first-time buyers so that they can meet the challenges that come with renovations performed poorly for quick sales, or when other problems arise in a competitive housing market. In the months ahead, Yachad will be working with other housing advocates to address the need for on-going support for D.C. residents. We want to ensure that successful home ownership continues for a lifetime.
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