What is San Diego Habitat for Humanity?
SDHFH is the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry that offers families in need a hand up, not a handout. By building homes in partnership with families in need, SDHFH seeks to eliminate poverty housing and substandard living conditions in San Diego County, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
We invite people of all backgrounds, all faiths, or no faith, races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need.
We select families on the basis of housing need, willingness to partner with Habitat and ability to repay the mortgage loan. Our partner families have with a 20-year, 0%-interest mortgage. Mortgage payments received from homeowners are directly recycled to build more homes in San Diego County for low-income families.
San Diego Habitat builds homes using:
Tax-deductible contributions of land, materials and money.
Volunteer labor, almost all of the labor we use is volunteers. Keep that in mind, and it makes the miracle even greater!
"Sweat equity" labor of homeowner families. Instead of a cash down payment, potential homeowners give us 500 hours of labor per family. This sweat equity can be applied to the construction of their own home, the construction of homes for others, assisting on ReStore activities, or other Habitat projects. This keeps the help and goodwill in circulation! Plus, future homeowners learn hands-on how to maintain and fix their homes!
Who started Habitat for Humanity?
Though many people commonly associate Habitat for Humanity with former president Jimmy Carter, Habitat was actually founded by Millard and Linda Fuller. Millard Fuller, an attorney from Georgia, felt it was a shame that working people in the richest country in the world couldn't afford to buy their own homes. In the late 1970's, he and his wife gave away most of their material possessions and changed their high-powered career paths in order to give back to the community. They founded Habitat for Humanity in 1976 as an ecumenical, Christian housing ministry.
Jimmy Carter is Habitat's most prominent volunteer, and he still participates in the Jimmy Carter Work Project somewhere in the world every year.
San Diego Habitat for Humanity was founded in 1987 by a group of concerned citizens, inspired by the work of the Fullers and Carters. In its early years, the San Diego affiliate built homes in both Tijuana and San Diego. In the mid-1990's the Board of Directors decided to shift its focus on the affordable housing needs of San Diego County, while Habitat for Humanity International took over the effort in Mexico.
How many homes has Habitat built?
By September 2006, SDHFH will have completed its 67th home in San Diego County. We currently have 45 more homes in the planning stages.
Habitat International has built more than 200,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1,000,000 people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter.
How does Habitat work?
Through volunteer labor and donations of money, land, and materials, Habitat builds simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families with zero-interest mortgages. These monthly mortgage payments are recycled into a revolving fund to construct more Habitat houses in San Diego County.
Is Habitat a charity?
SDHFH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We offer families a "hand up" instead of a "hand out," so we prefer not to call ourselves a "charity." By selling the homes to the families instead of giving them away, Habitat fosters self-sufficiency and independence. In addition, Habitat homeowners are required to contribute 250-500 hours of "sweat equity" in the construction of their own or others' homes. Donations to San Diego Habitat for Humanity are tax-deductible. To make a donation, please call 619-283-4663.
Can't find the answer to your question on our website? Contact us at general@habitatsdiego.org. |
