Habitat for Humanity of Omaha

Habitat Omaha’s Homeownership Program serves families whose income is 30% to 60% of median for the Omaha area. Many families who qualify live in unsafe, unsanitary or crowded rental units as the need for decent, affordable housing in the Omaha metropolitan area continues to grow. Each Partner Family is required to complete up to 350 hours of Sweat Equity before purchasing their home. Sweat Equity involves working on the construction site as well as attending educational sessions related to financial planning, budgeting, home maintenance and the creation of healthy neighborhoods. Habitat homeowners pay 100% of the appraised price of their home through a 20 - 30 year, no-interest Habitat loan. Since 1984, Habitat Omaha has constructed more than 484 homes in partnership with low-income families and over 12,000 annual volunteers. We will build or renovate up to 45 homes in 2016.

Qualified families receive a no-interest loan to help pay for necessary repairs, allowing homeowners to spread the expense over 1-10 years to make it affordable. Habitat Omaha serves as the general contractor, hiring only subcontractors we know and trust. All work includes a 1-year warranty through Habitat Omaha.

Launched in April 2011, Habitat Omaha’s Project Demolition addresses the critical need to remove blighted houses in our community. It is estimated that there are more than 3,000 properties listed as unsafe/unfit for living by the City of Omaha with another 800 on the demolition list. Most of these properties are concentrated east of 42nd Street. Despite increased efforts by the city to address this concern, fewer than 70 of these houses have been torn down each year. Habitat Omaha’s Project Demolition works with public and private partners to identify these properties (often times in close proximity to schools and other developments) and tear them down to make way for a new home or space to meet a need in the community. Removing these blighted structures helps to eliminate havens for crime and squatters, increases surrounding home values, improves community pride and makes future investment in the neighborhood more likely. Through December 2015, Habitat Omaha has torn down 155 blighted houses.

Our Neighborhood Revitalization program (NR) is a multi-faceted, block-by-block community development model that marries all Habitat Omaha's programs with data collection and coalition building for more significant neighborhood transformation. As building programs are implemented within a focus area, the NR team works to strengthen the neighborhood association, provide referrals to address other community needs and bring people together through special events and beautification projects. Focus areas include Deer Park in South Omaha and Kountze Park in North Omaha. More neighborhoods will be adopted into this successful program moving forward.