Healing the Home That Was Hurting Them

Mold, unsafe water, and structural damage were making Shane & Stephanie sick—until critical repairs made their home safe again.

Shane and Stephanie’s home is more than a place to live. Formerly Shane’s grandparents home, it’s where memories were made, and where they planned to continue building their life together. But over time, serious health and safety issues turned the place they loved into a daily source of burden and panic.

A failing roof allowed water to seep into the home, creating damp conditions where mold spread through ceilings, closets, and walls. At the same time, their well had become contaminated, turning their household water caustic and unsafe to use. Floors began to buckle as moisture lingered inside the home. Slowly, the house they depended on began to affect their health.

The mold became impossible to control. Stephanie’s asthma flared. “We were getting sick—getting real bad sick.”, Shane shared. “We didn’t even realize at first that the house was the reason. But it was making our daily life nearly impossible.”

No matter how much Shane and Stephanie cleaned, mold continued to assault their home due to a failing roof.

Shane is a retired, disabled Gulf War veteran, and Stephanie is his wife and caregiver. Like many homeowners on a limited income, they tried to manage repairs themselves. Shane had always been handy. Stephanie cleaned constantly, trying to stay ahead of the mold. But no matter how much effort they put in, the problems kept returning. “We thought we could get a handle on it, but then it just manifested. I cleaned and cleaned and cleaned it. I thought I broke vacuum cleaners”, Stephanie explained. “And then it just molded, it got in the closets, then it got in the microwave. ”

At times, they were too embarrassed to invite family into their home—including their adult daughter and both of their parents. “We wouldn’t have people over,” Stephanie shared. “That was really hard.”

An insurance setback compounded everything. After switching from long-time coverage to a cheaper provider, Shane learned the new company would insure his car, but not the house, due to the condition of the roof. Without homeowners insurance, and without the resources to address major structural issues, options disappeared quickly. Shane reached out to the VA and other agencies, but encountered delays and red tape. All while their home continued to deteriorate.

The well to their home was caustic, leaving the couple unable to do laundry or bathe using the water in their home.

While mold continued to assault their home, Shane and Stephanie began facing another severe health issue in their home: they couldn’t use their water. “Our well was caustic,” Shane said. “We couldn’t wash our clothes or take a bath. Our clothes were turning orange. We had to go to our parents’ houses just to do laundry and shower.”

The stress became overwhelming. The cost of the repairs were insurmountable to their limited budget. But they also weren’t issues they could ignore. Every day meant another reminder that the house they loved was becoming unlivable, and there was no clear way to fix it.

Meanwhile, the calls started coming. Investors offered quick cash for the property, often far below its value. To Shane and Stephanie, those calls felt like pressure to give up the home that had been in his family for generations. Selling would have meant losing not just a house, but their history, their community, and the place they still wanted to grow old together. However, they were running out of options, and running out of energy.

Then one morning, help arrived quietly, in the form of a flyer in the mailbox. “I always thought Habitat for Humanity was for building homes.”, Shane said. “And then I got that from my mailbox, and it said that they would help repair homes if you qualified. I called on a Sunday. I was distraught. And within five minutes, Jeffrey called me back and said, ‘It’s going to be okay.’”

The team confirmed what Shane and Stephanie had been living with: extensive mold fueled by a leaking roof, unsafe water, and compounding structural issues that explained many of the health problems they had been experiencing.

Through the Critical Home Repair Program, Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity, working alongside Mecklenburg County and community partners, stepped in to address the full scope of the crisis.

Just as important as the repairs was how the process felt. “No one looked down on us,” Shane shared. “Everyone treated us with respect.”

Over the course of several months, approximately $67,000 in critical repairs were completed, including:

The new roof on Shane & Stephanie’s home—a home that had once belonged to Shane’s grandparents.

• Installing a water tap to connect the home to city water

• Replacing plumbing under the house and installing a new water heater

• Mold remediation throughout the home

• A new roof

• New gutters with gutter guards

• Interior demolition and rehabilitation, including new flooring

• ADA modifications to better support Shane’s disability

• New appliances

Due to the extent of the repairs, Shane and Stephanie were unable to stay in the home while most of the work was being completed. When walking in after the mold remediation and the interior rehabilitation, the couple were moved to tears at what they were seeing. “It’s so beautiful”, Stephanie kept seeing as she walked through her now safe and healthy home.

As part of the mold remediation, Shane and Stephanie had to dispose of almost all of their furniture. To help fully restore the home, Greater Matthews Habitat also partnered with Furnish for Good, providing gently-used furniture so the home could once again be comfortable, functional, and welcoming.

They began cleaning, decorating, and working together in ways they hadn’t been able to before. For the first time in years, they could imagine hosting family again. “It just feels good,” Shane said. “To not be embarrassed. To feel proud.”

Shane often reflects on a quote he sees at the VA about caring for those who bore the battle. For a long time, he didn’t feel that care. But through this experience, he felt it from his community.

“It says at the VA, when you walk in, a quote from President Lincoln, “take care of the orphan, the widow, and the one that bore the battle. And I never felt that until my community that I grew up in and came back after the military. I felt that from Matthews and Mint Hill, where I live. ”

Today, their adult daughter feels safe visiting and staying in the home again. The space that once caused illness and isolation now offers stability and peace of mind.

Shane and Stephanie’s story is a reminder that for many homeowners, stability doesn’t come from starting over. It comes from being able to stay safely in the place that already holds their history.

This home didn’t need to be torn down.

It needed care, partnership, and a community willing to step in.

At Greater Matthews Habitat for Humanity, we’re honored to be part of that work, and part of their story.