The nonprofit agency Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay (RTTB) has enough money to provide free repairs to 20 low-income homeowners with children in Hillsborough County before the program expires in October.


What You Need To Know

  • The nonprofit agency Rebuilding Together Tampa Bay (RTTB) has enough money to provide free repairs to 20 low-income homeowners with children in Hillsborough before the program expires

  • RTTB needs 20 applicants before Oct. 1

  • The free services include cleaning air conditioning units, ducts and installing a UV light to prevent future mold growth

“You qualify for this program by having children, by being low income,” said Brandy Canada, RTTB Dir. of Operations. “You essentially go to the website and you apply.”​

Canada said the Children’s Board of Hillsborough County partly funded the program and provides money to repair 90 homes. The ‘Safe and Healthy Homes For All’ program lasts for one year and will expire on Oct. 1, with 20 open slots remaining.

“We need families with children. You must own your own home,” said Canada. “As long as you have any child who’s under the age of 14 in your home, you are more than welcome to apply.” 

Diab “Daniel” Ibrahim, 45, said he recently had RTTB do thousands of dollars worth of repairs at his Temple Terrace home.

“I think it’s a blessing from god. It’s unbelievable to have these people helping us,” he said. “There’s a big difference between what it was before and today.” ​

The free services include cleaning air conditioning units, ducts and installing a UV light to prevent future mold growth. Crews will also install smoke detectors, exterior solar powered motion lights, basic mold remediation, pest control, weatherization, carpet cleaning, a new mailbox and numbers for the house. 

“Our goal as Rebuilding Together is to keep people in their homes generationally year-after-year. We want them to be able to have a safe and healthy home,” said Canada. “We want them to be able to thrive. We want the kids to be in school and not at the doctor’s office.” 

For over 20 years, RTTB has helped thousands of Tampa Bay families and is part of a national affiliate network that works towards a vision of safe and healthy homes for all communities, according to the agency’s website.