Habitat Philadelphia's Weatherization and Home Repair Program (WHRP) seeks to address necessary repairs and improvements before they render a house unlivable. Like our traditional homeownership program, families apply to be considered and are selected on the basis of need , willingness to partner and ability to pay.

You can volunteer with WHRP projects to help address this critical problem. Volunteers work with Habitat Staff and selected homeowners on:

• Weatherization: Sealing air gaps, installing or upgrading insulation, installing CFL bulbs, etc. By decreasing air loss and increasing energy efficiency, weatherization reduces monthly utility bills—an important source of savings for families.
• Façade Repair: Applying a new coat of paint for the house façade, landscaping and doing minor exterior repairs. This gives the home a “facelift” and preserves it from the outside in.

WHRP volunteering is different than our homebuilding projects!

Before signing up to volunteer on a WHRP project, please remember:

1. All WHRP volunteers must be age 18 or older.

2. WHRP projects focus either on interior work (weatherization) or exterior work (facade painting and repairs). Each WHRP day posted on VolunteerUP is labeled either "Interior" or "Exterior." Before you sign up for an "Exterior" workday, please make sure that you are comfortable working from scaffolding and/or extension ladders! You may be working from heights of up to 30 feet in the air! Interior workdays do not involve heights, so please think about signing up for an interior day if ladders and scaffolding aren't your cup of tea.

3. WHRP projects take place in OWNER-OCCUPIED homes. This means that you may be working inside another person's (a stranger's) house. No matter what the condition of the house, please treat it, and the owners, with utmost respect and sensitivity. Be considerate of everything in and around the house. Treat the family's living space with full value, regardless of what it looks like to you.

4. WHRP project locations change and are NOT listed on VolunteerUP! All locations are in North Central Philadelphia in the neighborhood immediately surrounding Habitat's office (1829 North 19th Street). The Volunteer Coordinator will email you on the THURSDAY before your workday to give you the exact address of the project. Please plan to go directly to the worksite in the morning.

Sign up Now for Weatherization & Home Repair projects!