HomeAid Restores The Drake House

Atlanta, GA – January 6, 2022 – Building industry nonprofit HomeAid Atlanta celebrated the completion of a plumbing repair and restoration project, its fifth major project at Roswell’s The Drake House (TDH), with a ribbon-cutting ceremony on December 17, 2021. TDH provides a lifeline of supportive housing and enrichment programs for mothers and their children experiencing homelessness in north metro Atlanta.

HomeAid Atlanta works with organizations throughout a nine-county metro Atlanta area to build and maintain housing for people experiencing homelessness. Its partnership with TDH is one of its most enduring. The partnership began in 2006, when HomeAid renovated two apartment buildings to establish TDH, the first-ever crisis housing for women in north Fulton County. Over the years, five major build projects and 10 HomeAid Care Days have resulted in nearly $1.9M in construction value for TDH, with a savings provided of over $1M.

The plumbing repair and restoration project began in May 2021. Repairs were needed to replace failing cast iron pipes in the two original, eight-unit apartment buildings. “We had a major flood in four of the units in one building, so we turned to our long-time partners at HomeAid to help us,” said Nesha Mason, Executive Director at TDH.

HomeAid Atlanta secured support from its building industry partners to get the job done: Lennar signed on as the HomeAid Atlanta Builder Captain, leading the restoration project. R.S. Andrews removed and replaced all the cast iron pipes with PVC. North GA Inliners donated plumbing services for road-to-building pipes. Additionally, the project updated kitchens and bathrooms with new cabinets, countertops and plumbing fixtures, new lighting and flooring, and painting of all the units. Volunteers from Harrison Homes, Ashton Woods Homes and Northview Church provided major assistance in the demolition process. 

Best of all, TDH continued housing for its residents, even during construction. “We knew that it was important to keep services going for the moms and children that rely on TDH in their time of need, so we focused on eight units at a time. Once the first building was done, we moved on to the next eight units, thus ensuring that all 16 emergency housing units were not offline at the same time,” said HomeAid Atlanta Executive Director Mandy Crater.

The December ribbon cutting ceremony provided a festive finish to HomeAid Atlanta’s 20th anniversary year. Speakers included United States Representative Lucy McBath, Fulton County Commissioners Liz Hausmann and Bob Ellis, and others. Speakers discussed the need for housing security and shared their support for the project. “I look forward to all the success stories coming from these new homes,” said Rep. McBath.

“We can’t think of a better way to celebrate 20 years of service here in metro Atlanta than coming back to one of our first projects and ensuring that it can provide a home to mothers and children in crisis for years to come,” said Lori Rousseau, 2021 HomeAid Atlanta Board President.

These companies and individuals generously provided donations of time, talent, and materials in support of the HomeAid project at TDH:

·         A & A Painting, Cleaning & Turnkey Services 

·         AJ Cleaning Services

·         Ashton Woods

·         Atlanta Clean Tech 

·         Atlanta Community ToolBank

·         Atlanta Glass & Mirror

·         Atlanta Lanehart Electrical Contractors

·         Capitol Materials - A GMS Company

·         Construction Resources

·         David Weekley Homes

·         General Construction Services

·         Hallway Plumbing 

·         Harrison Homes

·         Lennar

·         North Georgia Inliners

·         Northview Church

·         PDI

·         R.S. Andrews

·         SEI Group, LLC

·         Sherwin-Williams 

·         Solid Rock Construction Group

·         Starlight Homes

·         Structured Drywall

·         Superior Indoor Comfort 

·         Takeaway Movers

·         The Tub Guys, Inc.

·         Triad Building Solutions

HomeAid Atlanta is a nonprofit organization founded in 2001, with a mission to help people experiencing or at risk of homelessness build new lives through construction, community engagement, and education. HomeAid builds, renovates, and maintains facilities for nonprofits serving people experiencing homelessness. HomeAid has completed over 150 construction projects at locations for victims of domestic violence, teen mothers, veterans and more, utilizing connections with building industry professionals and community organizations. HomeAid also provides essential items like diapers, wipes, and hygiene products to those affected by homelessness. HomeAid is the designated charity of the Greater Atlanta Home Builders Association. Learn more at www.homeaidatlanta.org.