TAMPA, Fla. — The Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program in Tampa is providing hundreds of thousands of dollars to homeowners to ensure low and moderate income families are able to maintain their homes. 

East Tampa resident Gloria Brooks is one of many homeowners taking advantage of the program this year.

For almost a year, Brooks' home has had a gaping hole in the roof. It got even worse during the tropical storm in June. The devastation is not easy to see from the outside, but looking inside her bedroom brings Brooks to tears. 

"I'm depressed," Brooks said. "It depresses me."

With no money to fix the roof, Brooks has been forced to live on the other side of her home. Brooks can't help but wonder why this is happening.

"I relate to every pain that everybody else is going through when they see their house demolished and wonder, you know, 'Why me?' But that's just nature," Brooks said.

Then, Brook's daughters discovered the city's Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program. The program provides grants and zero-interest loans on needed repairs so homeowners don't lose their property to code violations and other issues. The program just helped Brooks get a new roof.

"I was sad, pitiful in my spirit until they fixed it," Brooks said. "Now I'm happy. So happy."

Brooks received a $46,000 loan that she won't have to pay back if she stays in her home for 15 years. Brooks has already lived there for almost 30 years. The money provided is supposed to fix the roof along with completing other projects like a new air conditioning system, electrical repairs, termite treatment, cabinet repairs, a replacement sink and a new toilet.

Crews have a deadline of Nov. 12, but a city spokesperson said the timeline may be extended because of supply chain issues.

Brooks is hoping the entire project is done as soon as possible. She's also trying to figure out how to get the other work completed that is not covered in the contract. The process she said has sometimes been frustrating, but she's grateful.

The Owner-Occupied Rehabilitation Program has invested more than $800,000 in home repairs throughout Tampa in 2021.