Wells Fargo, Habitat for Humanity help homeowners age in place
A $7.5 million Wells Fargo Foundation grant is helping homeowners stay in their homes as part of a nearly 30-year partnership with Habitat for Humanity.
For Robert, a new wheelchair ramp means his son doesn’t have to get out of his wheelchair to come inside his home every weekend.
The ramp, as well as a new door, are possible through a $7.5 million Wells Fargo Foundation grant to Habitat for Humanity International, which is already being put to good use in Des Moines, Iowa, where roughly 130 Wells Fargo and community volunteers recently completed critical home repairs and updates for about a dozen local homeowners.
“[Wells Fargo’s investment] has made a difference in the community itself, not just for me individually, but for all the community,” said Robert, 66, who has two adult children who use wheelchairs.
The work aims to help families live more affordably and enable the country’s aging population to remain in their homes. About one in five Americans will be 65 years or older by 2030, yet some 19 million Americans already live in homes that are in disrepair or are ill-equipped to meet their mobility needs.
“The program with Habitat started 30 years ago in Des Moines with a team of our employees. We built a house with a family of five. And now we’re in cities across the country,” said Mary Mack, Wells Fargo’s retired CEO of Consumer and Small Business Banking. “This year, we’ll build or repair 360 homes across the country and make a huge difference in homeownership and livability.”
Wells Fargo and the Wells Fargo Foundation have donated more than $129 million to Habitat for Humanity and its local affiliates in the past 13 years for new home construction, disaster response, and more.
