HELP FOR HOMEOWNERS
SBP assists homeowners pre and post-disaster through our online and in-person trainings, rebuilding programs and opportunity housing for low-to-moderate income families.
Across the country, SBP has rebuilt the homes of more than 2,200 disaster impacted clients. However, we believe that to accomplish our mission of shrinking time between disaster and recovery, we must work from both sides of the problem: pre- and post-disaster.
SBP provides free resources to help households make smart, informed decisions before and after a disaster in order to fortify them against the unnecessary suffering associated with a prolonged recovery. Whether understanding how to get the right insurance before a disaster strikes or how to avoid contractor fraud afterward, our programs and resources enable households to recover quickly and efficiently, while minimizing as much stress and uncertainty as possible.
TRAINING PROGRAMS INCLUDE:
Pre-disaster
Training and resources for households to understand and reduce their risk, building resilience before disaster strikes. SBP works with organizations and communities across the country to provide resilience training locally.
Post-disaster
SBP works with organizations and communities in disaster-impacted areas to provide training and information resources to help residents navigate to a faster recovery. Downloadable step-by-step guides and checklists help impacted homeowners make smart decisions in a stressful time, including how to apply for FEMA assistance, file an insurance claim, avoid contractor fraud, and conduct mold remediation without overpaying.
Homeowner Preparedness Resources
By understanding and taking steps to reduce their risk, homeowners can be better prepared for disaster and able to recover quickly should one strike.
Homeowner Preparedness Resources
Post-Disaster Homeowner Resources
After disaster, impacted homeowners are often at a loss for what to do next. The following resources are informative and help homeowners make smart decisions in a stressful time.
Post-Disaster Homeowner Resources
Recursos Posterior a un Disastre (en Español)
Después del desastre, los propietarios impactados a menudo no saben qué hacer a continuación. Los siguientes recursos son informativos y ayudan a los propietarios a tomar decisiones inteligentes en un momento estresante.
Recursos Posterior a un Disastre
Post-Disaster Rebuilding
After a disaster, residents need recovery to be as prompt and predictable as possible in order to limit the amount of time they’re made to suffer the effects of displacement.
SBP's post-disaster homeowner resources, available for download on this page, are designed to help impacted homeowners understand the best course of action and make smart decisions in a very difficult time.
After disaster, SBP rebuilds for low-to-moderate income homeowners, placing a special focus on families with small children, the elderly, disabled persons, war veterans and the under-and uninsured. Nationally, SBP rebuilds a disaster impacted home in an average of 61 days at 40% the cost of market rate contractors by relying on AmeriCorps and volunteer labor.
Our clients have one point of contact who work with them throughout the rebuilding process ensuring that they are well informed at every stage of their recovery. If you are located in an area where SBP has ongoing recovery efforts and are in need of rebuilding assistance, please see the dropdown menu to the right and submit an application.
The clients below are just two examples of the more than 2,200 clients SBP has served since 2006.
Pamela, a daycare center manager who saved up to purchase her first home by working as an accountant, fled New Orleans with her two-year old daughter just prior to Katrina. With her home destroyed, Pamela moved nine times around the country. Eager to rebuild and move back to New Orleans, Pamela turned her Road Home funds over to a contractor who fleeced her. Resolute in her desire to rebuild Pamela was able to secure new rebuilding funding but nearly gave up after the city required her to elevate her home and the permit expired during the process. It was then that Pamela was able to find SBP who rebuilt her home for her and her daughter.
Jesse and Linda lived in their Baton Rouge home for 40 years. These high school sweethearts wrote letters to each other every day while Jesse served with the Air Force in Vietnam. After he returned, they got married and had two kids - a son and a daughter. Jesse’s career following his services included time with Exxon Mobile, but complications from Agent Orange caused several health problems and his disabilities forced an early retirement. Following the August 2016 flood, Jesse and Linda lived in a trailer parked down the street in front of their son's property, sharing it with 13 other family members. With the help of more than 500 volunteers, SBP rebuilt their home within 60 days of the couple being accepted to SBP. Their home is now a refuge for the remainder of the family, who no longer have to pack into the trailer.
OPPORTUNITY HOUSING PROGRAM
SBP’s Opportunity Housing Program creates homeownership and rental opportunities for residents of low- to moderate-income while rehabilitating blighted properties and strengthening neighborhoods.