The Gloucester Housing Partnership, a nonprofit organization that focuses on housing repair for Gloucester residents, has had to adapt its normal operations over the past few months because, well, nothing about 2020 has been normal.
GHP works by accepting applications from individuals and putting the projects up to bid to contractors. Chairman Bob Tschirhart said that, since the start of the pandemic, GHP has had to shift all of its focus to exterior repairs. He said that it’s due to the risk contractors and homeowners face when entering a home.
The only work GHP can do for interior repairs has to be considered an emergency. In those circumstances, Tschir-
hart said, the homeowner may be asked to not be in the house while repairs are being made.
Emergency situations in general aren’t uncommon for GHP, who provided support to the victims of the tornado caused by Tropical Storm Isaias. Tschirhart said that the organization received the call from Gloucester County Emergency Management, and reacted as fast as it could.
Tschirhart said that one homeowner had roof damage caused by the tornado and needed a temporary fix. GHP went out there the next day to put out tarps over the roof. The tarps were supplied by Emergency Management.
Tschirhart said that GHP is behind in its work when compared to last year. He pointed to a lack of available contractors being the biggest factor as to why GHP is struggling to meet the needs of their clientele. He said that many of the contractors GHP works with are booked solid for extended periods of time.
Tschirhart said that GHP is behind financially where it was last year. With a limit on the work GHP can do, revenue has been limited as well.
However, Tschirhart said GHP did receive the same amount of funding from the county as it did last year, when the board of supervisors adopted its budget. He also said that the pandemic has made GHP reach out for other grants that it hadn’t pursued in the past.
Earlier this year it was reported that GHP was in the process of looking for new revenue streams, one being a new service called, “Buy a Service—Give a Service.”
Tschirhart said that the new revenue services were originally set to begin within 2020, but he believes that “Buy a Service—Give a Service” won’t begin until at least early 2021.
The virus has also affected the partnership’s daily operations. Board meetings of the GHP have gone virtual. Tschirhart said that Zoom calls have allowed some members to attend meetings, but others live in areas that do not have internet. He also said that until recently GHP hasn’t allowed people to enter its office. Even the days the office is open have been cut from four to two because of COVID-19.
Currently the GHP office is filled with doors and lightbulbs received from donations. Tschirhart said that they’ve had contractors come in to purchase some of the overstock with donations, but there are still plenty there. He said that they may use a silent auction as a fundraiser to move the doors and help improve their revenue.
GHP is one of several organizations in the area that have been working to support the community and each other. Tschirhart said that GHP has been working with the Bernardine Franciscan Sisters Foundation Inc., United Way of the Virginia Peninsula, Habitat for Humanity, the Samaritan Group, and others.
Tschirhart said that the work the members do with other groups is a way for them to support each other through these times. This past Friday, GHP participated in the United Way of the Virginia Peninsula’s Day of Caring Drive Thru Parade in Yorktown.