Recently, SERCAP’s Housing Department assisted a low-income, elderly woman living in Rockbridge County, VA, to have a new septic system installed at her home. The client has lived in her home for over 50 years, but recently began experiencing difficulty with her septic system. As it turned out, her septic system had failed, and she was in need of having a new individual household septic system installed at her home. However, due to her extremely low-income status, she was absolutely unable to afford the cost of replacing the failed septic system without suffering significant financial hardship. Fortunately, the client was referred to SERCAP by the Lexington Health Department, and the agency was able to qualify her for full financial assistance, by combining funds from three different programs.
The project was approved for $1,500.00 under SERCAP’s Essential & Critical Needs Grant program, $6,000.00 from SERCAP’s County Funds program, and was also approved for $9,000.00 in USDA 504 Grant funding. SERCAP is an approved packager for USDA’s 502/504 programs and was therefore able to assist the client in securing the USDA 504 funds, in addition to SERCAP’s agency funds. The project was awarded to Hunter E. Ayres General Contractor, for the full $16,500.00 project cost. The septic system installation work was recently completed, and now the client once again has reliable access to an environmentally sound wastewater solution at her home.
Without SERCAP’s full slate of Programs and Services, many rural communities and low-to-moderate income (LMI) individuals would be forced to go without such necessities as reliable access to clean drinking water, indoor plumbing, safe and affordable housing, community development and infrastructure needs, water/wastewater infrastructure solutions, and more. It is important to remember that even in the US in the 21st Century; there are those who do not have reliable access to clean, safe drinking water, environmentally sound septic facilities, and affordable housing. In order to help SERCAP continue to provide assistance to both the individuals and communities in need, please consider making a donation to SERCAP’s Water Life! Fund!
Donate Today: https://sercap.networkforgood.com/projects/27202-sercap-s-water-is-life-fund (opens new window).
*SERCAP’s Housing Programs are made possible by the Virginia Department of Housing & Community Development’s (DHCD) Indoor Plumbing & Rehabilitation Flex (IPR-Flex) Program, by County Funds (Budget Appropriations) from counties across the Commonwealth of Virginia, and by Program Income Funds from the IPR-Flex Program. Additionally, SERCAP’s Essential & Critical Needs Grant program, and all of SERCAP’s programs in Virginia are leveraged by support from the Virginia Budget Appropriation, granted by the Virginia General Assembly and administered by DHCD.