What does this mean? What has our presence done for this community? As a hand up…not a hand out, the 50 houses represent 50 families who have started fresh, taking on home ownership and the challenge of a 25-year mortgage. The 50 families include 154 family members, 58 adults and 96 children, who are no longer living in substandard housing.
What does a Habitat house mean for Greene County?
· Improved Education
o
41 of the children are now adults; of
those, 35 graduated from high school (85%)
o
19 of the high school graduates continued
their education (54%)
o
9 have graduated from college, and 10 are
currently enrolled
o
13 of the adults have improved their
education (22%)
· Improved Economics
o
The 50 homes have added over $3 Million to
the county’s tax base
o
The use of substandard housing has been
reduced significantly
o
The Quality of life and safety for the
families
o
The increase in affordable housing
encourages economic development
· Improved Community – According to the HFHI Newsletter, May 2007, Compared to renters of the same age, income, race, etc., homeowners in the U.S. are:
o
12 times wealthier
o
15% more likely to vote
o
16% more likely to belong to school and
community organizations
o
10% more likely to attend church
o
28% more likely to repair or improve their
homes
Habitat has strict criteria for selecting qualified families. We choose families who are living in inadequate or substandard conditions and who cannot obtain a conventional loan or otherwise move up from public housing. They must demonstrate the ability to pay the no-interest mortgage and be willing to partner with Habitat by working sweat equity hours, putting in time on construction of their home. They must also attend Family Mentoring Program classes, which provide ongoing seminars in the areas of financial planning, budgeting, lending policies, home maintenance, credit, wills and estates, and nutrition.
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