Habitat for Humanity of the Charlotte Region

Our programs center on partnering with income-qualified families to purchase a new home with an affordable mortgage, preserve their existing home through completing critically needed repairs, or connect on financial literacy training. We believe no one should have to spend more than 30% of their income on homeownership. We deeply understand the wealth-building benefits of homeownership, with homeowners having roughly 40 times the net worth of a comparable renter (2022 Survey of Consumer Finances). New homeowners will no longer be cost-burdened by spending more than 30% of income on housing, leaving more for childcare, healthcare, education or savings, as well as giving back to our local economy. Completing critical repairs allows homeowners who have often invested a lifetime of work into homeownership to continue living independently and also often age in place, avoiding the potential for costly repairs and unsafe living conditions to result in displacement. Through Financial Literacy training, participants are successfully equipped with tools to achieve financial stability such as budgeting, credit building, investing and savings planning.

Our Affordable Homeownership program remains our foundation, as we utilize the traditional Habitat model of building new homes or renovating existing homes in partnership with families and volunteers. This program empowers families earning 80% or less of the HUD Area Median Income (AMI) to build a new home from the ground up or renovate an existing home and then purchase the home with an affordable mortgage. Our Critical Home Repair program conducts extensive repairs on homes of primarily elderly residents, enabling them to age in their own home without health or safety concerns while also preserving affordable housing stock in our community. Our team focuses on four key areas: unsafe roofs or floors, lacking heat, electrical system hazards, and plumbing hazards while also addressing accessibility issues in and around the home. Specific program requirements, including homeowner-in-process hours and homeownership classes, prepare our partner families for homeownership and building generational wealth over the long-term.

Habitat Charlotte Region has been at the forefront of providing affordable housing solutions for nearly four decades, continuously recognized by Habitat for Humanity International as one of the top affiliates for our innovation in the affordable housing sector. Habitat Charlotte Region construction staff maintains their OSHA, LEED, BPI, Lead RRP, and Asbestos Awareness certifications. Directors of construction hold their General Contracting licensures and supervise staff, as well as AmeriCorps members, volunteers, and certified subcontractors.

We have a multi-year Resource Development Strategy to increase organizational contributions from $6.5M annually to $9.5M in four years. The main priorities are acquiring, growing and retaining a healthy mix of constituents to support our operating needs and growth goals. Private philanthropy plays a vital role in our organization, making up about one-third of the annual resources available for our programming. We partner closely with donors to understand their philanthropic goals and then demonstrate how their giving makes an impact. We are also fortunate to own and operate six ReStores, where we sell new and gently used furniture, appliances, home dcor, and building materials. As an important fundraising arm of Habitat Charlotte Region, proceeds from our ReStores support our operational expenses so that we can continue to deliver our programs across the region and sustain our organization.

Habitat Charlotte Region celebrated its 40th anniversary in 2023 and we have served over 4,200 families since our inception in 1983. Most recently, our affiliate hosted the 2023 Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter Work Project during the first week of October 2023. Through this project, we accelerated the completion of 27 single-family homes at our Meadows at Plato Price and New Pineola neighborhoods. Over 2,000 unique volunteers contributed thousands of volunteer hours to our mission. We partnered with 49 participating sponsors who made generous investments into the project and our ongoing affordable homeownership, home preservation and financial literacy programs. In total, the project raised nearly $11 million, with approximately $7 million being invested directly into Habitat Charlotte Regions programs to ensure their future success and longevity