Good Neighbors tells council it repaired hundreds of county homes and seeks renewed support

Brad Dunn, advancement director for Good Neighbors, presented the nonprofit’s annual report to the New Castle County Administrative Finance Committee on May 12, detailing housing repairs and requests for continued county support.

Dunn said Good Neighbors expanded into New Castle County in 2016 and has repaired roughly 949 homes in the past decade. He told the committee the organization completed about 157 home repairs in the county last year at a total cost of more than $600,000 and currently has a waiting list of about 37 households with an aggregate repair cost of roughly $148,000.

Dunn described the nonprofit’s work as focused on critical repairs—furnaces, water heaters, ramps and roofs—that preserve safe and habitable homes for low‑income residents. He said volunteers lower overhead and stretch county contributions, and that the group’s 2026 goal is to repair about 150 homes; he reported 76 repairs already completed this year toward that target.

Committee members praised Good Neighbors’ work and several members indicated willingness to consider grant contributions from remaining discretionary funds. Chair Councilman John Cartier called Good Neighbors “one of the most respected nonprofit agencies operating in our county,” and a councilwoman said she intends to use residual grant funding to support the organization at a future finance meeting.

Dunn referenced external funding partners already engaged with the program, including ChristianaCare, the Longwood Foundation and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Pittsburgh, and said the nonprofit will continue to seek private and foundation grants in addition to county support.

The presentation concluded with an offer for council members to visit project sites and observe volunteer operations. Council members closed the item with thanks and moved on to public comment.