Habitat for Humanity Greater Orlando & Osceola County

Affordable, good quality, energy efficient homeownership opens the doors of opportunity for all to build wealth, access better credit terms, afford higher education, live healthier and safer, foster healthier childhood development and positive civic engagement, and pass along wealth and a better quality of life to future generations.

Habitat Orlando & Osceola hopes to accomplish the following goals through each of our programs:

Goal #1: To build and repair homes that provide safety and permanent housing stability during COVID-19 and to promote prosperity for generations to come.

Goal #2: To increase the number of individuals in Central Florida who gain improvements in health, save on energy costs, build their savings, advance their education, and make more forward-looking choices.

Goal #3: Increase financial literacy and prepare families for successful and sustainable homeownership.

Habitat Orlando & Osceola's strategic approach is a four-pronged set of principles to expand opportunities for underserved people to achieve permanent homeownership. These principles are: 1) A business viewpoint that emphasizes financial stability, innovation, and growth; 2) An elevated and deeply informed view of our community's needs; 3) A clear, compassionate vision of how to meet them; 4) Leadership roles in the community to achieve it.

Some builders of affordable housing are motivated by profit and not by meeting community needs or reversing pervasive inequities. Conversely, some builders are guided by compassionate values but at times do not make business decisions that lead to growth. As an organization, we know that thinking big is the only way to meet our community's housing needs. At the same time, we provide the best quality home construction and repair products, along with caring, responsive service to our clients.

This strategic approach and regional leadership are changing the landscape of our community to make homeownership, in real terms, affordable, equitable, and abundant.

Since 1986, we have served more than 4,500 men, women and children. Because of our success, in 2018 Habitat for Humanity International chose us to serve Osceola County as well as most of Orange County. Over the last five years, we’ve built an average of 30 new homes each year and repaired or modified an average of 80 homes per year, ranking us in the top 10 of all Habitats in the U.S. Habitat Orlando & Osceola has increased its affordable housing advocacy, subject matter expertise contributions, collaborations, new construction, and home preservation productivity by 900% compared to the previous decade.

Our Board of Directors are leaders in our community from a variety of professional disciplines. They meet bi-monthly and regularly hold special committee meetings. Catherine Steck McManus, President & CEO, along with our staff have a combined 100+ years of experience in construction, finance, development, and non-profit leadership.

Guided by the strong vision of our President and Board of Directors, Habitat Orlando & Osceola continues to be a sustainable organization with the capacity to accomplish its goals and attain growth as we meet our community's crucial need for affordable housing.

Our Board consists of individuals who are leaders in our community from a variety of professional disciplines. They meet bi-monthly and regularly hold special committee meetings. Catherine Steck McManus, President & CEO, along with our Executive Leadership Team and staff have a combined 100+ years of experience in construction, finance, development, and non-profit leadership. Our operational standards include extensive written policies and procedures, data management and reporting systems, and organizational and process controls. As trusted leaders in Central Florida for quality home construction and program services, these standards are safeguarded by local, state and federal government oversight along with that of private/corporate grantors.

Our CEO Catherine Steck McManus has increased productivity and become a driving force in the community: In 2019, the Mayor of Orange County appointed her to a special task force which in 2020 produced the first Orange County "Housing for All 10-Year Plan." In 2020 she was appointed to the Board of the Central Florida Regional Housing Trust; named a trustee of Greater Orlando Builders Association; and elected to Habitat for Humanity International's U.S. Council - one of only 20 CEO's from more than 1,100 affiliates. McManus also serves on the Habitat Florida State Support Organization's Vision 2030 Task Force. Senior staff serve on City of Orlando and Orange County Housing Committees.

Thanks to our incredible construction team, the hard work of volunteers, and the generous support of donors, significant positive impacts were achieved for hardworking families our community in our 2021-2022 fiscal year.

- Formally launched our Financial Mentoring Program.
- Began the process of becoming a HUD-certified housing counseling agency.
- 62 individuals paid down debt, increased savings, and improved their credit scores through our financial mentoring program.
- 41 individuals learned financial literacy and homeownership sustainability knowledge and skills by attending our HabitatU classes.
- 20 families successfully purchased new, energy-efficient single-family homes in our Silver Pines Pointe and Juniper Bend communities.
- 9 non-Habitat homes received critical repairs to enable low-income seniors and families to stay safe in their own homes.
- 7 families paid off their Habitat homes in full

In Progress & Completed Housing Developments:
• Holden Heights, 19 single-family homes in progress, completion in 2024
• Silver Pines Pointe, 58 single-family homes in progress, completion in 2024.
• Juniper Bend, 10 single-family homes completed in 2021.
• Arbor Bend, 34 single-family homes completed in 2021.
• Butler’s Preserve, 59 single-family homes completed in 2017.
• Staghorn Villas, 58 townhomes completed in 2013.