Since its inception in 1996, WARM, Inc. has improved the living conditions of over 500 families. Substandard housing compromises the health, safety and well being of every member of the family. Effects of substandard housing can include illness, increased healthcare costs, risk of fires, injury due to falls and other accidents, and absenteeism from school and/or work.
But the effects of substandard housing don’t stop at the front door. As these citizens function in the community, their condition creates a ripple effect on the schools they attend, area businesses where they work and shop, the property values in their neighborhoods, and the well-being of the entire community.
When residents are forced to move out because their homes are uninhabitable, they usually move into a group home facility, increasing the burden on the taxpayer and the community’s infrastructure.
WARM, Inc.’s work changes the lives of those living in the home. The homeowners are changed because someone cared enough about them to repair their homes. And WARM, Inc. has its own ripple effect. We reduce the effects of substandard housing in the community and we empower and unite people of compassion within that community to take action. Volunteers walk away with the satisfaction that comes only from serving those in need.
WARM's work affects the resident and the community in a variety of ways:
1. Aging in Place: keeping elderly residents safe in their own home instead of in a costly facility
2. Health & Safety: reducing risk of accidents and eliminating conditions causing illness
3. Environmental: reusing donated appliances in WARM homes and preventing home demolition
4. Affordable Housing: maintaining existing homes preserves our community’s affordable housing supply
5. Neighborhood Stabilization: preventing abandoned and condemned properties
6. Empowerment: empowering volunteers and other supporters to impact those in need