Background of Habitat for Humanity and Their Goal

Habitat for Humanity was originally named the “Koinonia’s Partnership Housing Program”, and it came from a community farm outside of Americus, Georgia, founded by farmer and biblical scholar Clarence Jordan.

The idea of “partner housing” was developed with Millard and Linda Fuller, whose goal were to help those in need of a shelter, working along side volunteers to build a decent, affordable house.  These houses would be nonprofit.  New homeowners’ house payments would be combined with no-interest loans provided by supporters and money earned by fundraising to create “The Fund for Humanity,” which would then be used to build more homes.

The first owners of the home built by the Koinonia’s Partnership Housing Program were Beau and Emma.  Beau and Emma moved in with their five children.  The house they lived in was a concrete-block home.  Inside had a modern kitchen, indoor bathroom and heating system, replacing the unpainted, uninsulated shack with no plumbing where they had previously lived.

The Fullers eventually wanted to expand their program, with a goal to help people.  In 1973, they decided to take the Fund for Humanity concept to Zaire, now the Democratic Republic of Congo.  Three years later, their house building program was such a success that they wanted to expand it even more.  When they returned to the United States, they gathered a group of supporters and started planning Habitat for Humanity International (founded in 1976).

Since then, Habitat for Humanity have sites located all over America.  They now have 1,400 communities across the United States and works in nearly 70 countries and has helped 6.8 million people achieve strength, stability and independence through safe, decent and affordable shelter.  Their goal was for families to have a home and because of them and the support and cooperation of others, their goals were achieved.

Everyone Needs a Home

There are many families who lives in shelters or doesn’t have a place to live and needs affordable housing.  Families from all over the world needs a secure place and a place where they can call their home.  They need stability.

In today’s society, rent and housing costs are constantly rising, and more and more families are find themselves struggling to keep a roof over their family’s head.  Due to these unstable condition, they live in fear everyday, not knowing what is going to happen.

Habitat for Humanity understands the struggles, and understands that safe, decent, and affordable shelters are difficult to find.  Especially ones that are stable, and usually, families that are struggling needs that stability to help build themselves up again. Habitat for humanity wants families to have affordable ownership, because they know that it will not only help the families reduce their stress load, but it will help them build confidence again in themselves and will start investing time in their communities again.  They hope that the family’s outcomes will be long-lasting and life-changing.

Habitat’s Mission

Habitat for Humanity was originally Christian based, however, they help anyone and everyone who needs the help.  They wanted to put God’s love into action and help the people in need.  Their mission is to bring people together, and to build homes, communities, and hope again.  Their main goal and mission is to have a world where everyone has a decent place to live.

Habitat For Humanity in New York

Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) has chapters all across America, and all the chapters have the same vision of wanted to help families own a home.They believe that everyone deserves a decent place to live regardless of religion, race, age, gender, political views, or any other distinction that too often divides people.  This means that Habitat welcomes all volunteers and supporters, and will serve all those in need regardless of their background.

How Habitat Works

Habitat for Humanity has affiliations all over the Unite States.  They are ran by donations and volunteers as well as help from the banks.

Habitat would go out and search for abandoned homes and will try to purchase it at a very low price from the government.  These homes are usually damaged, and would be difficult to live in.  This is where Habitat comes in.  Habitat and their team of volunteers will refurbish the home, turning it into a brand new home.  Once the homes are built, low-income families would apply for an application to see if they are legible for the home.  Habitat makes sure that the families do have an income and isn’t relying on the government because they do take out loans. Once the families are accepted, they then have an affordable home that they can call their own.  If families get rejected, the organizations gives them tips and advice on what they have to do to better their financial state, and ways to be a better applicant for the next application.  Usually, families that had been rejected reapply again, and the second time around, they do end up getting a home.

Pairing up with Banks

Although Habitat for Humanity wants everyone to own a home, they don’t want to be taken advantage of.  Families would normally fill out an application and a contract to pay the affordable cost for the home, and so they normally choose families who are working and putting in an effort to rebuild their family again.  Since Habitat do want to give people a chance, they paired up with banks that were willing to loan the organization money to build a decent home as long as the families does their share of paying their bills on time.  The families who wants to own the home must also contribute to their community by helping others build their homes too.

Things achieved:

On September 14, 2012, JPMorgan Chase announced that they donated $1.25 million to Habitat for Humanity NYC in support of their “100 Homes in Brooklyn” initiative.  This initiative’s goal is to build or acquire 100 affordable green homes in Bedford-Stuyvesant and Ocean Hill-Brownsville by 2014.

​​Annually, there are over 50,000 volunteers that helps build homes for families.

For every 100 habitat homes built in a community,

  • 324 jobs are created;
  • $21.1 million in local wages and business income is generated and;
  • $2.1. million in new tax revenue for local governments is accrued.

 

Habitat for Humanity goal to provides low-income families the opportunity for affordable homeownership so is heartfelt.  Many families work alongside volunteers and the homebuyers contribute more than 200 hours of “sweat equity” volunteer work toward helping build their home and the homes of their neighbors.