Get Full Government Meeting Transcripts, Videos, & Alerts Forever!
Get email alerts on the Nonprofit Grant Request topic
No spam. Unsubscribe anytime.
Roofs nonprofit asks Wilmington for $50,000 to replace failing roofs for low‑income homeowners
Summary
Roosts from the Heart, a Wilmington‑area nonprofit, asked the City committee for $50,000 to support no‑cost roof replacements for low‑income homeowners; the group said rising repair bills and hidden damage have increased per‑household costs and left about 30 open applications, 14 inside Wilmington.
Roosts from the Heart, a nonprofit that furnishes no‑cost roof replacements for low‑income homeowners, asked the Wilmington City Community Development and Urban Planning Committee on Feb. 13 for $50,000 to fund roof replacements for city residents.
"Our mission is to provide quality new roofs to those who cannot maintain the basic provision of safe and secure shelter for their families," said Kate Domanski, executive director of Roosts from the Heart. Domanski told the committee the group focuses on homeowners at or below 80% of area median income and that most applicants are single women or elderly single homeowners.
The request comes after the group said it completed 11 roof replacements last year, up from four in its first full fiscal year (2023). Domanski said the group currently has about 30 open applications from its website alone, 14 of them in the city of Wilmington, and expects to use the $50,000 entirely for direct project costs.
Domanski described rising material and labor needs and hidden structural damage that raise costs beyond simple roof replacement. "In many cases, especially when the home has flat roofs, there have been up to eight layers of roof that has to be removed," she said, adding that last year average project costs were about $16,000 after accounting for additional substrate and plywood replacement and other repairs.
Domanski said the nonprofit contracts with an established roofing company and passes warranties to homeowners; she said providers supply both materials and workmanship warranties and the client receives the roof contract under the Roosts from the Heart program. Domanski also said the nonprofit surveys homeowners about six months after a project to track outcomes such as health, energy savings and further home repairs.
Vice Chair Councilmember Shanae Nicole Darby and other committee members thanked Domanski for the presentation and noted the group's budget application is under consideration. Councilmember Hackett asked about per‑roof cost; Domanski said 2023 averages were about $14,000 and rose closer to $16,000 last year because of hidden damage and multiple roofing layers that must be removed and repaired.
A member of the public, Dora Williams of Delaware Concern for Environmental Justice, said she has been in contact with the nonprofit and asked for contact information; Domanski pointed to the group's website and offered business cards.
Domanski said with $50,000 the group hopes to replace roughly three to five roofing systems in Wilmington, depending on each job's condition, and to continue partnering with other home‑repair organizations to link recipients to additional work they may need.
Domanski left committee members with contact information and thanked the committee for the opportunity to present; the committee did not take a vote on the funding request during the meeting.
