After years of managing a leaking roof, longtime North Little Rock resident and pre-K teacher Edith Adams finally has a new roof over her head — and not just any roof, but a fortified one designed to better protect her home from Arkansas storms.

Adams, a paraprofessional at North Little Rock Academy, received a new roof through Communities Unlimited’s (CU) Fortified Roof Program — an initiative made possible through a $465,000 grant from Simmons Bank and the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas (FHLB Dallas). The program offers up to $15,000 to qualifying homeowners to install fortified roofing systems, which are built to withstand high winds and prevent the kind of water damage that can displace families after major storms.

“This is my parents’ house — and now it’s mine,” said Adams, who has lived in the home since 1970. “It was leaking when it rained. The water would get inside the house and everything.”

Adams first learned about the program through a fellow church member in 2024. Although the funding had already been fully committed at the time, she stayed on the waitlist. When a new round of funding was announced in April 2025, she quickly reapplied before the April 18 deadline.

“I was so excited to find out my name was still on the list,” she said. “CU walked me through the process, and they were quick about everything. I was just thankful.”

Kapriskie Mack, who serves as the COME HOME Regional Manager for CU’s Housing Team, coordinated Adams’ application and provided direct support throughout the process. Based in Little Rock, Mack leads the delivery of housing services across the Arkansas Delta, including client scheduling, technical assistance, grant facilitation, and marketing of housing programs in rural and underserved areas.

Mack’s coordination ensured that Adams’ roof replacement moved forward smoothly — from initial paperwork to contractor communication. Chris Walker, owner of Nex-Gen Power Systems & Roofing, completed the installation in just two days.

“Everything was great — it was quick,” Adams said. “I had an issue with something that sounded like it was from the old roof, and they came right back out and took care of it. They were friendly. It was just a good experience.”

Fortified roofs, developed by the Insurance Institute for Business & Home Safety (IBHS), are engineered to hold up against hurricane-force winds, hail, and severe thunderstorms. While they’re widely used in hurricane-prone coastal areas, they’re still relatively rare in interior states like Arkansas and Texas — where tornadoes and strong storms are common.

CU is working to change that by helping train and certify local roofers and evaluators. Until recently, Arkansas had only two certified evaluators. CU’s Housing Team has helped expand that number by connecting contractors to scholarships and technical resources.

CU’s Fortified Roof Program currently serves homeowners in Jefferson, Lincoln, and Desha counties in Arkansas and expanded in 2025 to include Linden and Alto in East Texas, where CU Community Housing Technician Kamilah Tatum leads efforts. Based in the region, Tatum provides similar services for CU as Mack — coordinating housing resources, building local relationships, and ensuring that eligible homeowners have access to protective roofing and repair options.

For Adams, the new roof brought more than shelter. It renewed her confidence in her home.

Her roof is the first of 31 planned installations through the current grant cycle, with more already underway in rural communities across Arkansas and Texas.

“I already have recommended it,” Adams added. “I hope I will use you again — only because I’m so happy now.”

Read more about our Fortified Roofing work in Dumas, AR, and learn about the process / benefits of a fortified roof in the video below: