Details

Published: June 15 2021

A Fort Lauderdale family of 11 is benefitting from a city program to help revitalize homes and neighborhoods. Doris and John Reed take care of their 11 grandchildren and great-grandchildren. Their home was in disrepair, so they applied for assistance through the city's Housing Rehabilitation and Reconstruction Program run by the Department of Housing and Community Development.

Commissioner Robert McKinzie met the Reed family years ago during a call for service to their home over Christmas. "The kids needed Christmas gifts," said McKinzie. So he and several other city employees delivered gifts to the home. "I saw the condition of the home and I said listen, we can help you more here."

When employees from Housing and Community Development came to assess the home, the repairs would have cost more than 50% of the value of the entire property. "My staff got outside the box and decided to use another product to fulfill this dream and we did what we call a wraparound house. We tear the old one down and build the new," said McKinzie. 

The new home is more than 2,000 square feet with five bedrooms and three bathrooms. 

The city held a ribbon cutting ceremony for that new home June 10. Mayor Dean Trantalis celebrated the incredible work done by city staff and the program used to help residents saying, "this is so important for, not only this neighborhood, but the entire community as we try to build one home at a time, building not just the house, but creating a home and home life for this family. 11 kids, grandkids and great-grandkids, I mean, these are generations that will benefit from this."

Housing and Community Development Manager Rachel Williams says this is the kind of end result that keeps her team inspired, saying, "this is the kind of rewarding work you do and it takes passion. When we come out and see the fruits of our labor and see that we have blessed a family and changed their lives, it just makes our job so much more meaningful."

For the Reeds, their new home is a "dream come true." The couple has battled several health issues over the past few years. Mrs. Reed is a three-time stroke survivor. She and her husband were both hospitalized with COVID-19. They expressed their gratitude to city staff over and over again with Mrs. Reed saying, "this really has changed our whole life. It changed the perspective, how we see things. I'm fighting back tears, holding back, because it really hasn't hit me yet. This is your house! This is your house!"

There's one thing she knows for sure, "better things are yet to come."

For more information on the program that assisted the Reeds, click here.