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Preserving Home updates Garner on home‑repair program funded with ARPA dollars
Summary
Preserving Home (formerly Rebuilding Together of the Triangle) told Garner council it has completed several home repairs using town ARPA funding, is under contract for a $100,000 program year to serve at least 10 homes, and is coordinating with county and utility programs to stretch local dollars.
Preserving Home, the regional housing‑preservation nonprofit formerly affiliated with Rebuilding Together, updated the Garner Town Council on Oct. 30 about its local home‑repair work and plans for the coming year.
Dan Sargent, chief executive officer of Preserving Home, said the group rebranded earlier this year and focuses on preserving existing affordable housing through repairs, weatherization and targeted safety upgrades. “We focus on repairing and improving the affordable housing stock,” Sargent said, describing the organization as a licensed general contractor and 501(c)(3) nonprofit that partners with local governments and funders.
Sargent recapped the organization’s recent work with Garner: an earlier partnership in 2015 and a restart in fiscal year 2023–24 supported by a $100,000 ARPA commitment. Council appropriated additional funds last year; Preserving Home completed six homes under a $50,000 investment and is under contract for $100,000 this year, targeting at least 10 homes. Sargent said the group had finished two houses and had three more under construction at the time of the presentation.
He highlighted specific projects that drew on multiple funding layers: a septic replacement on New Rand Road that combined Wake County environmental services funding with town dollars for interior plumbing; a roof and HVAC replacement in Heather Ridge that used Duke Energy’s Helping Home Fund; and an Avery Park house where installing a heat‑pump water heater is expected to reduce water‑heating costs by about 80 percent for that household.
Sargent described program eligibility as owner‑occupied homes with income certified at roughly 65 percent of area median income or below, and said many recipients are elderly or people living with disabilities. He said Preserving Home performs an assessment on each house, checks taxes, mortgage and insurance status, and tries to connect households with other programs to avoid repeated re‑entry into the system.
Council members praised the work and asked staff to provide the slide deck. Council member Singleton offered to explore a small midyear budget amendment if a few extra thousand dollars could push two or three additional Garner projects forward; Sargent said staff would return with a midyear budget update in January. John Hodges, assistant town manager, introduced Ben Austin, a UNC MPA graduate student supporting the town’s affordable housing task force, and confirmed a follow‑up presentation would be scheduled.
The town’s affordable housing task force will use the update as it finalizes recommendations on prioritizing future funding and preserving long‑standing neighborhood housing, council members said. The council did not take formal action on the presentation; staff will include follow‑up funding and timeline details in future budget briefings.
The council thanked Preserving Home for the update and said it looks forward to the midyear report and continued partnership.
