Ply Gem Remodeling Project Addresses Need for Affordable Housing

Addressing America’s affordable housing crisis and its impact on growing metropolitan areas like Wake County, N.C., Cary-based Ply Gem has kicked off a week-long multi-home remodeling project in Raleigh.

With building and remodeling support from 100s of local Hometown Hero volunteers recruited by Ply Gem, five Raleigh homes in serious need of critical repairs will receive new exteriors, including new siding and energy efficient windows. In addition, ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year, Brett Young, who is serving as a regional ambassador for the Ply Gem Home for Good project, will lend a hand during the remodel. The seven-day effort launches the third year of the Home for Good project, conceived by Ply Gem in 2016 as a way to give back to Americans in need of affordable housing.

Ply Gem manufactures a range of exterior home building materials and is a manufacturer of vinyl siding and vinyl and aluminum windows. Through the Ply Gem Home for Good project, the company has donated more than $1.8 million in siding, windows, and other building materials, while helping to build more than 450 homes in 70 communities across the U.S.

Helping to raise awareness of the need for affordable housing, country music sensation Brett Young will take part in the Raleigh remodeling project and host a meet and greet following a press event. In addition to wrapping up the week-long project, Young will perform an exclusive concert for all of the volunteers contributing their time and skills.

“Having a place to come home to means a lot to me personally,” says Young. “I’m proud of what Ply Gem is doing to bring the affordable housing issue to light through its Home for Good project, and I am honored to help spread the word to my fan base.”

As a nation, the demand for single-family homes exceeds supply by more than 3.2 million households, and another 4.6 million new rental units will be needed by 2030. As the gap between supply and demand drives up the cost of owning and renting a home, those working in lower income brackets are being forced to spend larger percentages of their incomes on housing.

“Having an affordable home is something so many of us may take for granted, yet the reality is that many Americans are just one financial emergency away from losing their homes,” says Gary E. Robinette, Ply Gem chairman & CEO and advocate for affordable housing. “Many Americans affected by the affordable housing crisis provide critical services to our communities; they are child care providers, caregivers to the elderly, educators and emergency responders. Through the Home for Good project, Ply Gem is committed to giving back by building homes, building awareness and building hope.”

In Wake County, where Ply Gem is headquartered, the need for affordable housing exceeds demand by some 56,000 units. If no action is taken, that gap is expected to triple by 2035. Similar scenarios are playing out in metropolitan areas across the country as housing costs grow faster than household incomes.

“Whether renting or owning, affordable housing is slipping beyond the reach of many working Americans,” says Robinette. “Through the Home for Good project, we’re committed to making a difference, and we’re pleased to be doing so right here in Wake County, where our neighbors live and work.”

About the Raleigh Remodel Homeowners

Like many retirees living on a fixed income, Ms. Linda Williams found that the wear and tear on her home of 20 years was too much to maintain on her fixed income. After years of working at the Raleigh Housing Authority and playing a role in helping so many families get homes of their own, Williams faced the reality of losing her own home.

“This is where I raised my kids, where my grandson opens his Christmas gifts, where my Mother had her 75th birthday party,” says Williams. “This is the place we all call home and a place I want to continue to call home for 20 more years.”

With the help of the Ply Gem Home for Good project, Williams will not have to worry about selling the only place she’s ever called home.

“I am just ecstatic,” says Williams. “To know my home will be taken care of and I will no longer have to worry about when my last day here will be is such a relief. I’m thankful for this opportunity and honored to be working with the team and volunteers from the Ply Gem Home for Good project.”

About Affordable Housing and Wake County

Nationally, one in four renting households spend at least 50 percent of their income on rent. In Wake County, some 42,000 households spend more than 50 percent of their monthly income on rent and another 49,000 households spend 30 to 50 percent of their incomes on rent. Already short 56,000 units, the unmet need for affordable housing is growing by an estimated 3,400 units per year and could reach a total of 150,000 units by 2035 if no action is taken. Read the complete report here.

Ply Gem Home for Good Project

Ply Gem created the Home for Good project in 2016 to help raise awareness of the need for affordable housing in communities across the country. Since the launch of the project, Ply Gem has:

• Helped build or remodel 450 homes
• Served more than 70 communities
• Donated more than $1.8 million in products
• Inspired more than 20,000 people who signed up to follow along
• Mobilized hundreds of Ply Gem associate volunteers nationwide
• Help build and remodel more than 80 homes in the Raleigh area