PHILADELPHIA (WPVI) — Rebuilding Together Philadelphia, a non-profit group, is spearheading the hassle to restore ten houses at no cost on one block over a two-day interval in West Philadelphia.

Part of their aim is to stop gentrification by serving to to keep up reasonably priced housing.

The houses alongside South 59th Street close to Chestnut Street in West Philadelphia are being reworked Friday and Saturday.

“I feel like it’s Christmas, you know,” mentioned home-owner Lorraine Mobley.

Mobley is one in all ten householders receiving house repairs at no cost.

“For the next 12 years, I don’t have to worry about my roof,” Mobley mentioned.

This is all due to group collaboration.

“Rebuilding Together Philadelphia repairs 125 homes every year,” mentioned Stefanie Seldin, President/CEO of Rebuilding Together Philadelphia. “Overall, we’re going to do 20 houses in this neighborhood and then next year, it’ll be another 20 and then another.”

The group has been doing group work for greater than 30 years with assist from funding by way of donors, firms and authorities assist, in response to Seldin.

The course of begins with group companions knocking on doorways, deciding which blocks to work on after which employees members inspecting the properties.

“Make a plan, say we need roofing, plumbing, electric, we bring in subcontractors that are staffed to do that and then we make a list of everything that we want the volunteers to be able to do,” Seldin mentioned.

They could not do it with out professionals and volunteers. Seldin mentioned t200 of them might be making a distinction within the two days of repairs.

“This is my third block build. As a formerly incarcerated person, a guy who never went to a traditional school, Rebuilding Together Philadelphia is an organization that really empowers regular people and allows them to thrive,” mentioned filmmaker and volunteer Shuja Moore.

A serious aim in finishing the repairs is to assist to maintain longtime households of their houses.

“These projects bring hope back to a community,” Moore mentioned.

The organization’s website has information about volunteering and donations. They mentioned they may at all times use extra funding and extra assist.