New York, NY (Top40 Charts) Addressing America's affordable housing crisis and its impact on growing metropolitan areas like Wake County, North Carolina, Cary-based Ply Gem, a leading North American building products manufacturer, kicks off a week-long multi-home remodeling project in Raleigh on April 30th.
With expert 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 broad range of exterior home building materials and is the nation's largest 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.
In recognition of Ply Gem's contribution, the Raleigh Mayor's office will proclaim May 8th as Ply Gem Home for Good Project Day. A press event sponsored by Ply Gem and Habitat for Humanity of Wake County will take place at 2:00 p.m. All media are invited to attend the press event and should contact Katie Weaver at
[email protected] for more details and to RSVP.
The press event will feature:
Five Raleigh residents whose homes have been remodeled with building materials donated by Ply Gem Building Products of Cary, North Carolina, and coordinated by Habitat for Humanity of Wake County.
Larry Jarvis, Director, City Of Raleigh Housing and Neighborhoods.
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 the 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," said 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 a safe, 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," said Gary E. Robinette, Ply Gem Chairman & CEO and outspoken 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, safe, affordable housing is slipping beyond the reach of many working Americans," said Robinette. "Through the Home for Good project, we're committed to making a difference, and we're very 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," said 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 Ply Gem's Home for Good project, Williams will not have to worry about selling the only place she's ever called home.
"I am just ecstatic," said 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 so 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 county's 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.
About the Ply Gem Home for Good project
Ply Gem created the Home for Good project in 2016 to help raise awareness of the critical 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
About Ply Gem Building Products
Ply Gem is a leading manufacturer of exterior building products in North
America with headquarters based in Cary, North Carolina. The company is the number one vinyl siding and vinyl and aluminum windows producer in the U.S., and manufactures a comprehensive product line of patio doors, aluminum siding and accessories, designer accents, cellular PVC trim and mouldings, vinyl fencing and railing, stone veneer, roofing and gutterware, used in both new construction and home repair and remodeling in the United States and Canada. The company employees more than 10,000 associates across North America. Visit www.plygem.com for more information.
About Gary E. Robinette, Ply Gem Chairman & CEO
Gary E. Robinette is a 38-year veteran of the building products industry, a 30-year resident of Raleigh, North Carolina, and a passionate advocate for safe, affordable housing for all. He has served on the Policy Advisory Board of the Joint Center for Housing Studies at Harvard University since 2000. In 2016, Gary and the Ply Gem team created the Home for Good project, a corporate social responsibility initiative developed to raise the public dialogue on solutions to America's affordable housing crisis.
About
Brett Young
ACM New Male Vocalist of the Year
Brett Young's "soothing, approachable" (New York Times) self-titled debut album became an instant success upon its 2017 release when it dominated the Top 20 on the Country Albums chart for 37 weeks, quickly reaching RIAA GOLD Certification. Delivering hit after hit, Young became one of Country music's "most reliable new hitmakers" (Tennessean), recently garnering a pair of Billboard
Music Award nominations for Top Country Album for his debut self-titled album (BMLG Records) and Top Country Song for his 3X PLATINUM breakout smash hit "In Case You Didn't Know." Drawing in a devoted fan base with his unique voice, "a gentle and seductive combination of silk and gravel" (All Access), he "doesn't sound like anyone else in Nashville" (Omaha World Herald). For additional information, visit brettyoungmusic.com.
