We often take many aspects of our home for granted, from the appliances that simplify our lives to the running water and power that sustain our households. But when Hurricane Helene hit Asheville on Friday, September 27, 2024, the damage to the North Fork Reservoir left our communities without water for nearly two months. In response, neighbors united to provide access to both potable and nonpotable water. Our community worked together to restore water service as quickly as possible.
But what if you lost running water for 6 years? Robin, a longtime homeowner in Black Mountain knows this all too well. When her pipes froze and burst in 2019, Robin had to find a way to survive. She notes, “I had that feeling of impending doom and despair. I thought I was going to be homeless in my retirement age. And nobody should feel like that.” Her story is a testament to strength, proving that even in the most difficult circumstances, the human spirit can rise above.
Strength and Survival
Robin vividly remembers the day she lost water. It was a cold winter morning in 2019 when she woke up with an uneasy feeling. Turning on the taps, she realized there was no water. Living in the hills of Black Mountain, she was no stranger to frozen pipes, but this time felt different. As the day went on, the water never returned and she figured out that her pipes had burst. A call to a local plumber confirmed her suspicions, but the real challenge was yet to come.
Robin recalls, “I could never find a reasonably priced plumber to fix my pipes. On a fixed income, the ones I could afford wouldn’t work on single-wide trailer pipes.” She felt trapped—unable to fix her home, move, or sell. This wasn’t the retirement she had envisioned after years of teaching photography at Warren Wilson College. Still, Robin persevered. She bought jugs of water for drinking and cleaning, did laundry at laundromats and friends’ homes, and leaned on her community for support—all while searching for assistance to bring running water back into her home. To make matters worse, her roof began leaking, adding another costly repair to the list. The mildew that followed worsened Robin’s asthma, affecting her health. Despite the challenges, she felt fortunate to own a home in Black Mountain—a place she had purchased herself through years of hard work. She cherished this place. It was home. But without help, she risked losing it.
Resilience
Through a friend, Robin learned about MHO’s Essential Home Repair (EHR) program. She reached out and applied, and after a home inspection, she was thrilled to find out she qualified for assistance! MHO recommended a full replacement of her broken pipes, a complete remodel of her bathroom and kitchen, and a new metal roof to protect her home from the elements. Within a few months, the work was complete! Robin vividly recalls the moment she turned on the water in her home for the first time in six years: “I can’t tell you the feeling… I was ready to cry. It was a miracle! To have running water after all these years. Because I knew I had a place that I could call home again.”
Robin now enjoys the delight of her home, her property, and her community. She is no longer worried about the possibility of becoming homeless and losing her property. She now has a rejuvenated home that is safe, secure, and welcoming to her friends and family. More importantly, she wants to share the word about grassroots programs like MHO, who she says make the difference for homeowners who risk losing their homes. “If more families knew about Mountain Housing, and they could get help to stay in their homes, that would make all the difference for this community.”
Robin honored at Building Hope in November 2024.
If you know someone who needs home repair, visit our website at https://mtnhousing.org/services/essential-home-repair/ or call 828-254-4030.