Legacy Resident Ambassadors Voices Strengthen City’s Home Repair Programs

The ideas and insight of Southeast Raleigh Promise Legacy Resident Ambassadors (LRAs) led the City of Raleigh to make updates and changes to its Home Repair and Substantial Rehabilitation Programs. The improvements reflect the impact resident voices can have, and amplify the value of listening to the community members who know these programs best.

This year, the City of Raleigh’s Home Preservation Coordinator and the Raleigh Innovation Team partnered with Southeast Raleigh Promise to gather meaningful feedback from our LRAs, long-time homeowners in four Southeast Raleigh neighborhoods who help inform our work in the community. They engaged with LRAs during monthly meetings and community events; interviewed past home repair program participants; reviewed feedback on the new application form; and identified barriers such as electronic accessibility challenges or communication gaps.

The voices of our LRAs led to concrete improvements that already  are making the program more accessible and user-friendly. The application is clearer, more simple and informative with additional explanations to help homeowners understand eligibility, process, and expectations; improved communications and user accessibility, including changes inspired by feedback about meeting locations; better information about immediate next steps, helping residents feel more confident and prepared; and an increased program budget to account for rising repair costs to ensure more repairs can be completed without leaving important items off the list.

The changes are making a difference. “I have already received positive feedback from applicants on how beneficial these changes are,” said Leigh Ann Hobgood, the City’s Home Preservation Coordinator. “The improvement would not have been possible without participants sharing their own experiences.”

Southeast Raleigh Promise is proud to serve as a bridge between residents and partners, ensuring all of our neighbors continue to shape solutions that help families preserve, strengthen, and remain in the communities they call Home.