Last Updated on October 25, 2022 4:46 pm
BOONE, NC – WAMY Community Action is announcing a $7,500 grant from Bank of America to support WAMY’s Watauga Housing Coalition, which focuses on preserving and improving the low-income housing stock in Watauga County. The Coalition is comprised of different partners in the area, including civic and faith organizations, local businesses, and volunteers in the community. Support from Bank of America will allow WAMY to combine additional resources, engage Watauga Housing Coalition volunteers and have a greater impact on low-income residents in need home repairs.
“According to census.gov, there are 10,825 homes in Watauga County that are over 50 years old, and 7,969 homes that are considered inadequate. A household is labeled inadequate if it is over-occupied, lacks complete plumbing, kitchen, or flooring, or is occupied by individuals paying more than 30% of their income for housing,” said April Beck, WAMY’s Housing and Energy Director. “Unfortunately, WAMY cannot always address these issues because of funding restrictions. Last year, in Watauga County, 55% of the home repair applications received by WAMY had to be deferred due to a lack of unrestricted housing funding.”
As part of its overall commitment to economic mobility in Western North Carolina, Bank of America works with nonprofit partners like WAMY to help reduce barriers to basic needs for vulnerable populations in Boone and surrounding communities.
“Our partnership with WAMY Community Action aligns with our ongoing support of organizations that provide programs to bolster affordable housing across Western North Carolina,” said Andy Nadeau, President Bank of America Asheville. “We look forward to seeing how this investment strengthens and expands WAMY’s ability to make an even greater impact for families in need of home repairs and other improvements.”
“WAMY’s Watauga Housing Coalition’s purpose is to combine resources and offer housing repairs that are otherwise unavailable to low-income families, especially the elderly. Funding from Bank of America will support the Coalition, allowing us to serve more families and perform a wider range of repair work in this county.” said Allison Jennings, WAMY’s Director of Development. “I think we will all agree that affordable housing is becoming out of reach for low-income families. This gift will strengthen our community and help address the basic needs associated with affordable housing,” said Jennings.
About W.A.M.Y. Community Action
Established in 1964, W.A.M.Y. (Watauga, Avery, Mitchell, Yancey) is a Community Action Agency and was the first human-service non-profit to come to the High Country’s four-county area. WAMY’s mission is to partner with families and communities to provide the disadvantaged the support they need to become self-sufficient. WAMY conducts a community needs assessment every three years and programs are designed according to the needs of the community. Currently WAMY has four programs- Youth Development, Food & Nutrition, Housing & Energy, and Total Family Development. To learn more or donate visit wamycommunityaction.org.
