E.T. House
Greenwood District United Methodist Churches In Cooperation With The United Methodist Relief Center
And With Your Help
We Plan To Construct The First ET House For The Greenwood District
Directions To ET House Building Site
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Housing for the Elderly, a New Approach.....
The newest construction program of the United Methodist Relief Center is the ET (Elderly Transportable) Housing Project. This "home on wheels" is the brainchild of Executive Director, Pat Goss, and Relief Center volunteer construction supervisor, Clarence Westendorff. The impetus for this project was to fill the need for safe and adequate housing for very low-income elderly persons living alone, often living in abysmal conditions in homes that have deteriorated beyond repair. ET houses are stick built on recycled mobile home frames and meet or exceed all applicable building codes (CABO). They are wheelchair accessible and include one bedroom, one bathroom with roll-in shower, a kitchen/living room combination, and a front porch. The United Methodist Relief Center will maintain ownership of the houses, which are provided to recipients rent-free. The ET house will be moving to the recipient's property, set up, tied down and connected to the necessary utilities. When the recipient is no longer able to live alone or dies, the ET house will be refurbished and relocated to serve another elderly person.
The United Methodist Relief Center will work with other social service providers, such as Meals on Wheels, who will not only recommend persons for assistance, but will also keep us apprised of any maintenance problems, compliance with terms or the agreement, and/or the need to relocate the home.
There are several advantages to this concept:
- ET Houses are cost effective (approx. $32,500/unit for all related costs including construction cost, permits, & site prep).
- ET Houses provide safe housing for truly needy elderly persons living in dire circumstances.
- Recycling of ET Houses ensures prudent use of funds. (house may be recycled 5 or 6 times and becomes very cost effective)
- ET Houses replace existing dwellings, eliminating the need to relocate elderly persons who have lived in tiny rural communities for their entire lives.
- ET Houses meet the urgent need of the elderly without benefiting extended family members who may not warrant services.
- ET Houses can be constructed in parking lots, which facilitates more community involvement and increases awareness of the plight of elderly persons. Thus, this project may be the impetus for greater involvement of local churches, civic groups, and businesses in providing safe decent housing for needy persons living in their own back yards.
The United Methodist Relief Center believes this housing concept has
the potential to be a model program which can be replicated in other rural
areas throughout the country.