Homes, Community, Hope & You
Announcing our Essential Housing Response Fund
Now more than ever, families need the security and stability of a decent home they can afford. During this pandemic, the importance of home – where we shelter in place – is critical to our health and safety. But for too many families, home is overcrowded, unsafe or unaffordable.
The uncertainty so many of us feel today, many families have felt for a lifetime – if not generations. As the economic shocks from this crisis ripple out, these same families will be hardest hit. They always are. Families face impossible choices. Do I pay the rent, or put food on the table? Risk foreclosure, or pay for my child’s prescription meds? These are the families with whom we partner and now, more than ever, they will need your help to build back.
Those of us who do have safe, stable housing, are at home wondering, ‘What can I do? How can I help families whose homes aren’t safe or affordable right now?’
We have an answer: Habitat Capital District’s Essential Housing Response Fund
Thank you to those who have stepped up to support our mission & work in the past weeks to already raise over $35,000 and counting to help us keep building. Your generosity is building impact in our community.
With an initial goal of $250,000 in services and support, we seek to undertake the following initiatives:
Complete current home builds, so eight local families can still purchase their homes in a just a few months, as planned
Help families long after this crisis passes by beginning construction of at least 10 homes in the next 12 months
Offer mortgage relief to local Habitat homeowners facing economic hardship now and in the coming months
Deploy ReStore trucks to support direct service community partners through distribution of food and other resources to our neighbors in need
Provide support with urgent housing needs to low-income community members, including quality referrals and donations of furniture and home goods to families with extenuating need
Continue to advocate at local, state and national levels for housing affordability and justice for low-income households
The COVID-19 pandemic has put our current construction plans in jeopardy while also throwing many Habitat homebuyers into even greater uncertainty about their futures. Each home that we build costs an average of $240,000 to build, but our average sales price is $131,000. That means for every home we build, we need to cover a gap of around $110,000. In the age of pandemic, some funders have pulled their support at exactly the moment when families need safe homes the most. Based on both current and projected lost income related to the pandemic, we may have to cut the number of families we serve through home construction by 50%.
Natiya, a Habitat homeowner and long-time volunteer. Many Habitat homeowners are essential workers.
This is why your donation is urgently needed – whether you have the ability to give $25, some of your federal stimulus check, or an even larger gift. Times are hard for many of us - we understand that. No amount is too small to make a difference. You have the ability to create safety and security for Capital District families in the midst of this ongoing uncertainty. Please make an emergency gift today to ensure our viability for the families that are counting on us. You can donate right here on our website, using our secure online donation form.
We are grateful that 139 families have had a safe home in which to shelter during this time, thanks to Habitat’s generous donors and volunteers. Many Habitat homeowners are classified as essential workers who are keeping our region functioning and keeping us safe. They have safe, affordable homes to return to after their shifts – but what about the thousands of families in our community who don’t have that stability?
These are hard days, and there are undoubtedly difficult days to come. Our pledge to each of you is that we will work through the days ahead with compassion, transparency and a commitment to a better future for all we serve.
Habitat supporters have always understood our collective responsibility to care for the health and well-being of our communities and our neighbors. It is what has sustained our work with local families for more than 30 years, and it’s what will ensure we weather our current challenge. We came together during this crisis, and we must stay together when the urgency has lifted but the need remains. If we do, a more just and beloved world awaits.
Habitat for Humanity provides a foundation where families and neighbors can stand strong together. Make a donation to our Essential Housing Response Fund to help families today, tomorrow and long into the future.
Many thanks to Aflac for giving the Essential Housing Response Fund a strong start. Aflac is a long-time sponsor of our work and mission, and we are grateful to have them building with us.