Home Improvement for Heroes: Accessibility Modifications for Veterans with Disabilities

About the Program

Category: Community and Economic Development (Best in Category)

Year: 2017

Maricopa County is dedicated to providing housing services designed to address home livability, safety concerns, and accessibility upgrades for vulnerable populations. Maricopa County Human Services Department (MCHSD) created the Veterans Home Improvement Program (VHIP) to assist Veterans with service-connected disabilities in living independently in a safe and suitably adapted home and to allow residents an opportunity to stay in their homes and age comfortably in place. This program provided major homeowner rehabilitation to 25 veterans with service-connected disabilities to help them live independently and with dignity. The purpose of the program was to address home livability, health and safety concerns, and provide necessary accessibility upgrades to allow veterans to stay in their homes and age comfortably in place. Through accessibility modifications such as roll in showers and doorways wide enough to accommodate wheelchairs, these veterans and their families no longer have to struggle with daily activities. When unable to afford the home repairs on their own, this program provided them with meaningful modifications tailored to suit their individual needs.