WEST CHESTER, PA — A Chester County housing repair program that has helped restore nearly 200 homes since 2023 will end December 31 as its federal pandemic relief funding expires, leaving additional low- and moderate-income homeowners seeking assistance with essential repairs.
The Whole Home Repairs Program, funded with $2.9 million from the American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA), has paid for improvements addressing unsafe housing conditions, accessibility barriers, and deteriorating residential infrastructure.
The program was established through a partnership between Chester County and the Whole Home Repairs Coalition. The county’s Department of Community Development administered the funding through contracts with four nonprofit organizations.
Participating organizations included Good Works Inc., Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, Good Neighbors Home Repair and the Housing Partnership of Chester County.
The repairs addressed problems such as inadequate heating, broken windows, faulty plumbing, and leaking roofs, allowing qualifying homeowners to remain in properties they otherwise could not afford to repair.
County officials reported that the initiative exceeded its original expectations for the number of homes repaired, although demand for assistance surpassed available resources.
“The WHRP repaired more homes than we originally expected, demonstrating the program’s success,” said Dolores Colligan, director of the Chester County Department of Community Development.
“Still, more residents applied for assistance than we could help, so the need for essential home repairs remains great,” Colligan added.
The program’s scheduled expiration highlights the limits of temporary federal funding in addressing ongoing housing maintenance needs among lower-income property owners.
One participating homeowner described living in a house that municipal officials had declared unfit for habitation because of extensive damage.
“I could see the sky through my ceiling and the branches were in my bed,” the homeowner recalled. “Now, my home is beautiful.”
The Chester County Commissioners credited the program’s nonprofit partners with helping residents address serious property conditions that would otherwise have remained unresolved.
“The program has repaired homes, transformed neighborhoods, and brought hope to communities,” the commissioners stated jointly.
The county indicated that additional housing repair funding is awaiting federal approval following the July enactment of the 21st Century ROAD to Housing Act, legislation addressing housing supply, affordability and regulatory reform.
The pending funding does not change the December 31 termination date for the existing Whole Home Repairs Program.
Residents who continue to need essential home repairs after the program closes may seek assistance directly from Good Works, Habitat for Humanity of Chester County, Good Neighbors Home Repair, or the Housing Partnership of Chester County.
Those organizations will remain potential sources of repair assistance, although the county’s federally funded program will no longer operate after the end of the year.
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