JOINT CENTER FOR HOUSING STUDIES AT HARVARD 2013 REPORT
The Role of Nonprofit Organizations and Public Programs in Promoting Home Rehabilitation and Repair Activity,” a 2013 report produced by the Harvard University Joint Center for Housing Studies, included an in-depth case study of Rebuilding Together. 70 With the goal of better understanding the characteristics of households served by Rebuilding Together and the outcomes that result from this work, researchers collected data on 431 households from 19 affiliates across the country. The study came to three major conclusions:
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Rebuilding Together affiliates assist their target populations: low-income, underserved households who are particularly vulnerable to inadequate housing conditions.
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Projects undertaken by affiliates effectively addressed the strategic goals of safety/health, accessibility, and energy savings. As a result of Rebuilding Together’s work, the overwhelming majority of participating households experienced moderate or substantial improvement in home safety, accessibility, and energy savings.
Homeowner Characteristics The study confirmed that Rebuilding Together’s target homeowner populations: the elderly, those with disabilities, veterans, and active duty service members, were indeed heavily represented among households served by affiliates. Over 60 percent of sampled homeowners were elderly and a slightly higher share had at least one household member with a disability. Participating homeowners also had much
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lower incomes than the general population, with over 65 percent of households reporting annual incomes less than $20,000. Homeowners were also considerably more likely to be long-term residents of their home. Some 65 percent of surveyed homeowners had been in their home over 20 years—a level of residential stability that exists among less than 30 percent of American homeowners.