Mike has lived in Dayton, Kentucky his whole life. He reminisces about growing up with his seven brothers in a two-room home just down the street. From his seat in his living room, he can see the High School where he graduated.
Now Mike, his wife, and their Bichon dog live in a two-story, 100-year-old home that also holds special value to the family. Mike’s parents spent the second half of their life living in the home. Once they passed away, Mike and his family moved in. “I have lots and lots of memories in this house,” says Mike.
Mike, a U.S. Army veteran, reached out to Habitat for Humanity of Greater Cincinnati’s Veteran Repair program when he discovered water pooling behind his walls. He worked with Habitat to repair the badly damaged roof and gutters that were causing water to enter the house. With help from the program, Mike was also able to install new handrails on the porch stairs to increase the home’s safety. Funding from The Home Depot Foundation made these repairs possible. “We were so happy about [the Veteran Repair Program]. Wow, I mean—unbelievable.”
Mike says that people frequently contact him wanting to buy his home to rehab it. He says, “if we moved from here to somewhere else it's going to double the price we pay for this, you know, it's really silly. I’m going to stick it out here until I croak.” Now with the completed repairs, Mike doesn’t have to worry about having to choose between moving or living in potentially unsafe conditions.
“I’ve lived in Dayton my whole life. […] It’s really nice around here. We have a very good relationship with our neighbors. We help each other out. We love it here,” says Mike.