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Local veterans get much needed help rehabbing their homes

PITTSBURGH — As part of a partnership between nonprofit organizations, the city of Pittsburgh and the Home Depot Foundation, volunteers are rehabbing and rebuilding houses to help keep local veterans in their homes.

Channel 11’s Lisa Sylvester has learned that more than two dozen veterans’ homes in the Pittsburgh area are being remodeled as part of the project.

“Pittsburgh has one of the largest populations of vets in the U.S., but over 12 percent (12,000 of them) live at the poverty level,” Mayor Bill Peduto said.

On Wednesday, Sylvester got the chance to see how crews are using the $200,000 donated by the Home Depot Foundation.

Bert Malloy, a vet who served in the U.S. Air Force, has lived in the same Hazelwood home since 1952. He said he can’t afford to make repairs to his home, like fixing a leaky roof.

Thanks to the project, his home is one of the 28 getting a major facelift.

“It’s the greatest thing in the world. It’s a wonderful thing. It’s like Christmas in June when they come,” Malloy said. “I couldn’t possibly afford to remodel the house like that. It would have had to be torn down.”

There is also home repair help available for non-veterans, as well. The nonprofit group Sustainable Home Improvement Partnership, or "SHIP," helps low-income and disabled residents. CLICK HERE for more information.

WPXI

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