2008 FACT SHEET

 

 

Mission

 

Harbor Habitat for Humanity is a Christian non-profit housing organization that seeks to eliminate substandard housing in Benton Harbor and Benton Township by engaging the community and partnering with families to provide them with a decent place to live.

 

Habitat Structure

 

Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) is a Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing worldwide. Founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller, along with his wife, Linda, HFHI has 2,300 active affiliates in 92 countries that have built and sold more than 300,000 homes to partner families with no-profit, zero-interest mortgages.

 

In Benton Harbor and Benton Township, Harbor Habitat for Humanity (HHFH) has partnered with families to build 77 decent, simple, safe and affordable homes since its founding in 1995.  A local, independent, autonomous board of directors governs HHFH, setting the policy and vision for the organization. An executive director administers the daily operations of the organization. HHFH believes in and follows the founding principles and operating guidelines of HFHI.

 

Homeowner Selection

 

Habitat homeowners are selected based on the following criteria:

 

1.       Need: Their current housing is substandard, unsafe, overcrowded and/or unaffordable.

2.       Ability to pay: Total household income must be between 30% and 50% of the area median income for the State of Michigan, which is $60,900.  As an example, to qualify a family of four cannot earn less than $18,650, and not more than $31,050 per year.

3.       Willingness to partner with HHFH: A review of their income, credit history and rental history must show that they have the disposition to pay for and maintain a home. They must demonstrate the willingness and ability to work with volunteers and staff, and must invest 300 sweat equity hours before they move into their home.

 

Land Acquisition

 

Land for building sites is typically acquired though these methods:

 

·         Cities and municipalities who have received property due to non-payment of taxes sell property to Habitat.  We then improve and build on the property, creating tax revenue for them.

·         Church, corporate and individual donations of land or underwriting the purchase of land.

·         Outright purchases by HHFH.

 

 

 

 

 

Affordability

 

  • Habitat homes are sold to the homeowner with a non-profit mortgage for the exact cost of construction.  In Berrien County, a 1,100 sq. ft. HHFH houses typically cost $75,000 to build, averaging $68 per square foot.  This compares very favorably to the average of $125.00 per sq. ft. for commercially built new homes.
  • HHFH mortgages are amortized over a 20 year period with a 0% interest note.
  • Monthly mortgage payments are typically $400-$425/month, including taxes and insurance.

 

 

Sustainability

 

  • Funds to construct homes are initially raised via donations from businesses, churches, civic organizations, corporations, individuals and foundations.
  • The cost of building the houses are paid back to HHFH through monthly mortgage payments from the partner families. 
  • These payments are reinvested in the community to build more Habitat homes each year.
  • Harbor Habitat contributes 10% (tithe) of its unrestricted income to HFHI for the building of homes in other countries.

 

 

Impact

 

  • Since the inauguration of Harbor Habitat for Humanity in 1995, 77 new homes have been built, dedicated and occupied by partner families.
  • Harbor Habitat for Humanity is one of the fastest growing affiliates in the State of Michigan.
  • Each adult of each partner family must log 300 hours of “sweat equity” – work on their house, and other HHFH homes, thus building a sense of neighborhood. 
  • Harbor Habitat for Humanity is the only local non-profit organization that requires sweat equity and offers zero-percent interest loans.
  • When sponsoring a building project, all donations are used to build the home being funded.  HHFH’s other costs are covered through mortgage payments and unrestricted gifts.
  • Monetary gifts and in-kind donations to Harbor Habitat for Humanity are tax deductible.
  • Affordable housing improves our community by creating a sustainable tax base and strengthening the local economy.
  • After moving into their new homes, partner families report an increase of family income and better children’s school attendance, scholarship and grades.
  • Neighborhoods with a concentration of Habitat homes exhibit lower crime rates, increased cleanliness of the general locale and better maintenance of public and private property.

 

 

Volunteer Opportunities

 

Harbor Habitat is a volunteer driven organization. There are countless opportunities to serve in this ministry.  Our staff works with several committees as well as individuals, groups and homeowners who are earning sweat equity hours to keep this organization alive and growing.  Volunteers come from all different backgrounds, skill levels, and talents.  We recognize that all volunteers are very special.

 

·         Everyone needs to do meaningful work

·         Everyone wants to feel needed

·         Everyone has his or her own reasons for wanting to volunteer

·         Everyone has something to offer

 

Our goal is to match the right job with the right volunteer. Some volunteer opportunities include:

 

  • Become a construction crew lead, share your knowledge and help teach and supervise volunteers in construction projects throughout the build season.  Each year, our build season begins in April.
  • Join a weekday build crew or specialty team and dedicate one day a week during our build season or help on specific projects such as siding or roofing, depending on your interests and skills.
  • Join a Habitat committee: family selection/support, construction, public relations, special events, volunteer services, finance, church relations, or fund development.
  • Adults of all ages are encouraged to use their existing skills or learn new ones according to their interest and abilities.  Youth volunteers between 14-17 years of age are allowed to participate on build sites provided they are supervised by a responsible adult and work at ground level with non-powered tools.  Landscaping, painting and cleanup are ideal tasks for youth volunteers.

 

Developing a Story of Success

 

We are often asked what happens to the mortgage payments made to Harbor Habitat for Humanity from our homebuyers.  The simple answer is that it goes back into home building and house construction.  When you invest in a habitat house this year, you are simultaneously investing in future houses. Currently, Habitat mortgage payments received from our 77 partner families are combined to provide enough cash to build new houses each year.  This re-cycled funding will grow as more houses are added to HHFH’s success story.

 

Opened in 2003, our ReStore, a building supply thrift store, accepts donations of new and re-useable construction materials and home items, then sells them at deeply reduced prices to “the trade” and local consumers. Volunteers answer phones, stock incoming donations, keep inventory updated and provide exceptional customer service.  Sale proceeds from our ReStore are expected to subsidize the cost of a house each year, and continue to provide funding to support the administrative needs of Harbor Habitat.

 

Harbor Habitat for Humanity built 9 homes in 2004, four of which were “blitz built” in 5 days. Michigan AmeriCorp awarded Harbor Habitat for Humanity its signature Service Project also in 2004, which paved the way for over 200 AmeriCorp members who arrived in Benton Harbor on June 25th to assist on the first day of the blitz build. This helped HHFH prepare for hosting the 2005 Jimmy Carter Work Project, when 20 homes were constructed in Benton Harbor over a one-week period: June 19-24, 2005.  A total of 27 homes were ultimately built in 2005.

 

Benton Harbor was honored to be selected by President Carter and HFHI as one of two host sites for the Jimmy Carter Work Project in 2005. Habitat for Humanity International's Jimmy Carter Work Project is an annual, internationally recognized event in which the former U.S. president and his wife, Rosalynn, join Habitat volunteers to build simple, decent and affordable houses in partnership with people in need. President Carter's longstanding relationship with Habitat for Humanity began in 1984 when he donated one day of his carpentry skills and manual labor at a work site in Americus, Ga., home to Habitat's international headquarters. Later that same year, the Carters led their first weeklong work project in New York City.

 

"The state of Michigan will benefit from Habitat for Humanity's efforts to build homes and provide much needed rehabilitation and healing to communities and families in need," said Governor Jennifer Granholm.

 

"The answer to providing affordable housing in Michigan, and for that matter throughout the world, is not to abandon a community, but where possible to rebuild a community," said President Jimmy Carter.

 

Harbor Habitat for Humanity enjoyed this opportunity to work in partnership with people from all over the world and we were honored to have been selected to host Habitat for Humanity International Jimmy Carter Work Project in 2005. Utilizing this and every other possible opportunity, we intend to continue to work with partner families, volunteers and the greater community to build simple, decent, safe and affordable homes until poverty housing is totally eliminated in our community.

In 2007, we constructed 12 homes in Benton Charter Township. This was an increase from the nine homes built in 2006.  We have acquired new warehouse space in downtown Benton Harbor despite increasing costs.  Home sponsorships remain the same at $75,000. We have continued our exciting new program, A Brush with Kindness, which provides paint and minor repairs to up to six houses neighboring Habitat homes.  We concluded the 2007 build season with a total of 77 families served!

    

2008 – 2009

 

Construction activity has begun for our exciting new venture:  The Crystal Estates Development Project.  We plan to create an entirely new neighborhood by constructing 21 new homes on an 8 acre site in Benton Charter Township.  Our goal is to complete 100 homes by the end of 2009, just in time to celebrate our 15th anniversary.

 

House Sponsors for the 2008-2009 Build Season are:  Whirlpool Corporation (sponsoring 3 homes), the Men and Women of Whirlpool (sponsoring the Whirlpool Golf Tournament Home), Thrivent Financial for Lutherans (sponsoring 2 homes), American Electric Power (Cook Nuclear Power Plant), Entergy Foundation/Palisades Power Plant, Lakeland Healthcare Professionals, and Women Build.

 

On June 11th and 12th we will host the 2008 Signature Service Project.  The Signature Service Project is an annual event where AmeriCorps members from all AmeriCorps Programs in the state of Michigan gather together for two days to perform a service project together.  Last year, Detroit hosted the project. This summer, AmeriCorps members will assist with the Crystal Estates Development Project. 

 

We are also very proud to offer A Brush with Kindness to homeowners in the Benton Harbor and Benton Townships area.  This neighborhood outreach program beautifully augments Habitat’s traditional homebuilding mission by providing an additional housing service to the neighborhoods and the outstanding families with whom we are privileged to partner.  A Brush with Kindness scraps and paints, does yard clean-up and simple landscaping on the exterior of homes in partnership with residents.  In particular, it focuses on those homeowners in difficult circumstances or who are unable to do the work themselves due to limitations of age, disability or illness.    

              

2010 and Beyond

 

Issues surrounding decent and affordable housing continue to cause us great concern. We know that there are a disproportionate number of rental units that currently exists and continue to be built without a housing strategy and sufficient planning activities to justify the efforts.

 

We firmly believe that home ownership is vital to the economic and overall general success of the area. Homeownership lends itself to more stable, secure families, and contributes to the growth and development of a prosperous community.

 

To that end, we will continue to build houses, and at the same time, lend our voice to advocate on behalf of families in the area as they seek property tax relief. Benton Harbor’s ad-valorem tax rate is among the highest in Berrien County, and is a disincentive to serious new construction activities. Residents deserve consistent and aggressive housing code enforcement in the City of Benton Harbor to address property owners who fail to maintain their houses in a manner consistent with State law.

 

We will continue to strengthen our relationships with Benton Charter Township, other units of government, and non-profit organizations that have a role to play in providing decent and affordable housing. Together with our many partners, we will help to provide leadership in addressing important issues of housing and community development.

 

Furthermore, because many of our partner families have school-age children, we plan to continue developing our partnership with the Benton Harbor Area School District to increase collaborative efforts and identify future partner families.