Habitat for Humanity of Smith County receives grant for critical repairs program

TYLER, Texas (KLTV) - Habitat for Humanity of Smith County received a $300,00 Housing Preservation Grant from the United States Department of Agriculture (USDA) for critical home repairs for rural East Texans.

“They’re living on very little income and so they can’t fix their homes,” Habitat for Humanity of Smith County CEO Jack Wilson said. “They are billed enough money for food and medicine, and so we’re their safety net. There’s really no one else around that does critical repairs.”

The USDA grant will be used to repair 25 homes in rural portions of Anderson, Cherokee, Henderson, Rains, Rusk, Smith, Van Zandt, and Wood counties in East Texas.

Wilson said the critical repairs program started in 2009 and they have spent over 8 million dollars in repairs for seniors, veterans, and those with disabilities.