Founded | 1976 Americus, Georgia, U.S. |
---|---|
Founders | Millard Fuller Linda Fuller |
Type | Non-profit, interest group |
Location |
|
Services | "Building simple, decent and affordable housing" |
Fields | Protecting human rights |
Key people | Jonathan Reckford, CEO |
Website | www |
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI), generally referred to as Habitat for Humanity or Habitat, is a U.S. non-governmental, and tax-exempt 501(C)(3) nonprofit organization which seeks to build affordable housing. [1] It was founded in 1976 by couple Millard and Linda Fuller. The international operational headquarters are located in Americus, Georgia, United States, with the administrative headquarters located in Atlanta. [2] As of 2023, Habitat for Humanity operates in more than 70 countries. [3]
Habitat for Humanity works to help build and improve homes for families of low-income or disadvantaged backgrounds. Homes are built using volunteer labor, including that of Habitat homeowners through the practice of sweat equity, as well as paid contractors for certain construction or infrastructure activities as needed. [4] Habitat makes no profit from the sales. [2] In some locations outside the United States, Habitat for Humanity charges interest to protect against inflation, a policy that has been in place since 1986.
The organization operates with financial support from national governments, philanthropic foundations, corporations, and mass media companies. [5]
Habitat for Humanity traces its origins to the time Linda and Millard Fuller spent at Koinonia Farm in 1965. The couple had a successful business in Montgomery, Alabama before they started a new life of Christian service. [6] [ non-primary source needed ]
In Tempe, Arizona, Habitat for Humanity 3D-printed walls for a house when not enough labor was available. [7]
Habitat for Humanity's A Brush With Kindness is a locally operated program serving low-income homeowners who struggle to maintain the exterior of their homes. The program is a holistic approach to providing affordable housing and assisting communities as well as families. Groups of volunteers help homeowners with exterior maintenance. This typically includes painting, minor exterior repairs, landscaping, weatherization and exterior clean-up. [8]
Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville (called HabiJax), is the largest affiliate of Habitat for Humanity (HFH) in the United States. [9] [10] Habijax was named the eighth-largest homebuilder in the United States by Builder magazine for 2009. [11] HabiJax in 2023 marked 35 years of service and has provided homes to over 2,300 families. [12] [13]
The HabiJax affiliate was founded in 1988 by nine unnamed representatives from congregations in Jacksonville. Initial funding was secured from the Jessie Ball duPont Fund. Their first project was a house donated by the South Jacksonville Presbyterian Church that was moved, setup and rehabilitated for the first HabiJax homeowner family. [14]
New homes are not the only service that Habijax provides. In targeted neighborhoods, the nonprofit also performs home repairs, weatherization, and rehabilitation for clients, as well as housing counseling. As of 2012, they had helped over 7,500 families. [15]
The Episcopal Church of Our Saviour has been a supporter since 1994 and their crew works on several homes each year. [13]
Volunteers include U.S. Navy sailors who volunteer when their ship is in port. [9] Every Thursday, between 10 and 20 sailors from the USS Gettysburg (CG-64) would work on a build site, doing whatever needed to be done. [16]
The Jimmy Carter Work Project constructed the Fairway Oaks community of 85 new single-family homes in 17 days. [17] The Northeast Florida Builders Association (NEFBA), together with their building members and 10,000 volunteers [18] were joined by former President Carter and Rosalynn, former HUD Secretary Jack Kemp, Habitat founders Linda and Millard Fuller, Jaguars owners Delores and Wayne Weaver and Mayor John Delaney in September, 2000 to complete the project. [17] [18]
Some residents of the Fairway Oaks development have subsequently complained of health problems. Some residents argued that part of the development was constructed over a landfill, [19] with one resident finding layers of garbage under his kitchen floorboards. Other residents allege poor construction. [20] [21] [22] A lawsuit filed against HabiJax and the City of Jacksonville was dismissed [23] [24]
However, it was unclear whether the issues are due to lack of maintenance or substandard construction. [24]
In conjunction with Super Bowl XXXIX in Jacksonville, HabiJax held Superbuild: constructing 39 houses during the NFL season in 2005. The final home, number 39, was constructed in 39 working hours. [25]
New Town is an historic residential neighborhood in downtown Jacksonville that experienced significant urban decay by the end of the 20th century. In 2008, Jacksonville mayor John Peyton and other parties established the New Town Success Zone, modeled after New York City's Harlem Children's Zone, which provides comprehensive social and educational programs and services to children in the neighborhood. [26] [27] In 2012 a completed HabiJax home was furnished and decorated by a local interior designer as a model for the revitalization of the neighborhood. The project, which constructed more than 100 new homes, was completed in 2012. [15]
Habijax joined the tiny-house movement in mid-2020 with plans for a community of fifty 500–600-square-foot (46–56 m2) homes in the Lackawanna neighborhood on the Westside of Jacksonville. [12] It was funded by a grant from a Delores Barr Weaver charity. [28]
Construction began in January 2021 and the project was expected to be completed in three months. The Northeast Florida Builders Association and their member builders joined Habijax to complete the build. In a change from their Modus operandi, these houses will rented to one or two person households. Jacksonville's affordable housing crisis worsened after the pandemic, with half the city's renters paying more than 50% of monthly income on housing, which should not exceed 30%. CEO of HabiJax Monte Walker explained, "They will come furnished with appliances and internet access as well. So, it's just a different way for us to serve the community in a different kind of structure". [28]
Habitat ReStores are retail outlets that sell new and used building and household materials donated by small businesses, large companies, job sites, contractors and individuals.
In 2008, HabiJax opened a ReStore on Beach Boulevard with inventory from 40 to 70% below retail prices. Proceeds from ReStores help fund the construction of additional houses in the community. [29] With the success of the first ReStore, HabiJax opened a second outlet on 103rd Street. In 2021, the stores had gross sales of $1,904,575. [30]
The 38,000-square-foot (3,500 m2) stores have six full-time employees but rely heavily on volunteers. When donations arrive, volunteers assess them for price and condition, clean, organize and place them in stock. [29] According to the National Habitat for Humanity, many ReStores cover the administrative costs of the Habitat affiliate so that 100% of donor funds can be put toward home construction and rehabilitation projects.
Mary Kay O'Rourke retired in 2020 after 23 years at Habijax and just as the pandemic closed the Habijax office for two years. She started in 1997, as a family selection coordinator, then the manager of family services position became available and she was promoted. A couple of years passed before she became COO. In 2004 she was interim CEO for a year, then named president and CEO. Through the years, she has met nearly every Habijax client—over 2,000 families. [31] O'Rourke helped keep the non-profit financially secure by adopting a "diversified revenue model" which included fundraising campaigns, opening two ReStores to sell home-improvement products and construction materials, mortgage finance products, and now tiny house rentals. [31]
Habitat for Humanity New York City and Westchester County (Habitat NYC and Westchester) was founded in 1984 as an independent affiliate, serving families across the five boroughs through home construction and preservation, beginning with their first build on the Lower East Side, during the first-ever Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project. [32] This 19-unit building on East 6th Street, the first Habitat building in New York City, was completed in December 1986. In 1995, four different New York City affiliates united to form one affiliate—Habitat NYC. In 2020, the affiliate expanded its work into Westchester, becoming Habitat NYC and Westchester. [33] Karen Haycox was appointed CEO of Habitat NYC and Westchester in August 2015. [34]
The Habitat Bicycle Challenge (HBC), a nine-week, coast-to-coast bicycle trip undertaken to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven and to increase awareness of Habitat for Humanity in general, took place annually from 1995 to 2007. Prior to embarking in June on the 4,000-mile (6,400 km) trek, participants engaged in a seven-month fundraising campaign for Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven. Once on the road, they served as roaming advertisements for Habitat and gave nightly presentations explaining Habitat's mission to their hosts, usually church congregations. They also took part in builds with local Habitat chapters along the way. At its height, HBC attracted about 90 participants a year, all aged 18 to 24 and about half coming from Yale University. Each rider traveled one of three routes: New Haven to San Francisco, New Haven to Portland, or New Haven to Seattle. By 2004 HBC had become the single largest yearly fundraiser for any Habitat affiliate in the world, raising about $400,000 a year. However, amid growing safety concerns, Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven was forced to announce the cancellation of HBC in September 2007. [35]
Like much construction activity, which carries inherent risk, Habitat for Humanity construction has led to serious injuries or death to some volunteers. [36] [37] [38] [39]
Habitat has been criticized for its slow and inefficient rebuilding efforts along the Gulf Coast after Hurricanes Katrina and Rita. [40]
An article in the Weekly Standard , an American opinion magazine, questioned the cost-effectiveness of Habitat building projects. To estimate cost effectiveness, The Weekly Standard alleged that all costs associated with building a Habitat home must be used, including the cost of volunteer time and training. [41]
Habitat affiliates in the region have remained some of the largest homebuilders in their areas and have received numerous awards and acknowledgements for their work in building quality homes. [42]
Families are required to show an ability to pay for their home in addition to the need for housing. With these requirements, homeless and low-income families may fail to qualify for a Habitat home. Most American Habitat affiliates perform credit checks and criminal record checks on applicants before partnering with them for the construction of a home. Some critics therefore allege that Habitat misrepresents the nature of its work by partnering with families that might be considered nearly "middle-income". [41] To address this, many Habitat affiliates in the United States partner only with families that fall below the government-set "poverty line" for their area. The current poverty rate is measured according to the United States Department of Health and Human Services Poverty Guidelines. [43]
The Habitat board investigated Millard Fuller for sexual harassment but found "insufficient proof of inappropriate conduct." Some Fuller supporters claim that the firing was due to a change in corporate culture. [44]
Before Fuller's termination, attempts were made by former President Jimmy Carter to broker an agreement that would allow Fuller to retire with his $79,000 salary intact; when Fuller was found to have violated the non-disclosure portion of this agreement, he was subsequently fired, and his wife, Linda was also fired. [45]
Jacksonville is the most populous city proper in the U.S. state of Florida, located on the Atlantic coast of northeastern Florida. It is the seat of Duval County, with which the City of Jacksonville consolidated in 1968. It is the largest city by area in the contiguous United States as of 2020.
Jacksonville International Airport is a civil-military public airport 13 miles (21 km) north of Downtown Jacksonville, in Duval County, Florida. It is owned and operated by the Jacksonville Aviation Authority.
Koinonia Farm is a Christian farming intentional community in Sumter County, Georgia.
The Mathews Bridge is a cantilever bridge in Jacksonville, Florida, which spans the St. Johns River. Constructed in 1953, the bridge brings traffic along the Arlington Expressway between downtown Jacksonville and the Arlington neighborhood. It was named after John E. Mathews, a Florida state legislator and Chief Justice of the 1955 Florida Supreme Court who helped gather funding for the bridge's construction. Originally silver in color, the bridge was painted garnet in 1984 in celebration of Jacksonville's short-lived United States Football League franchise, the Jacksonville Bulls.
The Fuller Warren Bridge is the prestressed-concrete girder bridge that carries Interstate 95 (I-95) across the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The current structure was finished in October 2002, replacing the original bascule-bridge span, finished in 1954.
Habitat for Humanity Canada is a non-governmental, and non-profit housing organization in Canada, being the Canadian arm of the global Habitat for Humanity.
The Habitat Bicycle Challenge (HBC) was a nine-week, student-led bicycle trip undertaken to raise funds for Habitat for Humanity of Greater New Haven and to increase awareness of Habitat for Humanity in general. Occurring annually from 1995 to 2007, the trip traversed the United States from the East Coast to the West Coast. Co-Founded in 1994 by Yale University students Antony Brydon and Tina Teresa Pihl, the original Habitat Bicycle Challenge featured eight riders bicycling from New Haven to San Francisco, California in the summer of 1995. By the time the final ride took place in 2007, HBC attracted about 90 participants a year and had grown to include two additional routes, one ending in Portland, Oregon and the other ending in Seattle, Washington. Even as it grew, HBC retained its origins as a student-run organization, with a core group of twelve leaders organizing every aspect of the three trips, from planning routes to securing corporate sponsorships. Sponsors included Green Mountain Gringo Salsa, Clif Bar, Cannondale, Energy Brands, Bear Naked, and Mortgage Lenders Network, among others.
Millard Dean Fuller was the co-founder and the former president of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit organization known globally for building houses for those in need. Fuller also was the founder and president of The Fuller Center for Housing. Fuller was widely regarded as the leader of the modern-day movement for affordable housing and had been honored for his work in the United States and abroad.
Musicians' Village is a neighborhood located in the Upper Ninth Ward in New Orleans, Louisiana. Musicians Harry Connick, Jr. and Branford Marsalis teamed up with Habitat for Humanity International and New Orleans Area Habitat for Humanity to create the village for New Orleans musicians who lost their homes to Hurricane Katrina.
Metropolitan Park is a 32-acre (130,000 m2) urban waterfront park and concert venue located on the north bank of the St. Johns River in Downtown Jacksonville, Florida. It is projected to be the eastern terminus of the northbank Jacksonville Riverwalk.
LaVilla is a historic African American neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida and a was formerly an independent city. It developed after the American Civil War and was eventually annexed to the city of Jacksonville in 1887 and is now considered part of downtown.
The Jacksonville Riverwalks are a network of multi-use trails and open space developments along both the north and south banks of the St. Johns River in Jacksonville, Florida. The roughly 2-mile (3.2 km) Downtown Northbank portion travels alongside the Hyatt Regency Jacksonville, Jacksonville Landing, Times-Union Center for the Performing Arts, CSX Transportation Building, and extends into the Brooklyn district. The 1.25-mile (2.01 km) Southbank portion of the trail connects local landmarks such as Friendship Fountain, Museum of Science and History and Riverplace Tower.
The Fuller Center for Housing (FCH) is an ecumenical Christian, 501(c)(3) non-profit, non-governmental organization based in Americus, Georgia, that builds and repairs homes for low-income families and individuals. It is active in 60 U.S. cities and 16 countries outside the U.S.
LGI Homes is an American construction company that is known for building homes and housing developments in the southwestern and southeastern United States. The company was founded in 2003 and is based in The Woodlands, Texas. It went public on NASDAQ in 2013
The Jimmy & Rosalynn Carter Work Project - formerly the Jimmy Carter Work Project (JCWP) - is an annual home building blitz organized by Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliates. It generally takes place in the United States one year, and an international location the next. President Jimmy Carter and Rosalynn Carter helped Habitat volunteers renovate the 19-unit building, and media coverage brought attention to Habitat, which had been founded in 1976 in Americus, Georgia, a short distance from Carter's hometown of Plains, Georgia. Even though President Carter has said repeatedly he never intended to start an annual project, the following year the Carters returned to the same site to finish the renovation work. On October 10, 2013, as part of the 30th annual project, the Carters returned to the building and met with families living there.
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Brooklyn is a neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, considered part of the downtown area. Originally a residential suburb, commercial uses became prominent during the 20th century, particularly along the St. Johns River and Riverside Avenue, and the area became included in Jacksonville's central business district. In the 21st century, it has become the site of mixed-use developments.
San Marco is a neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida, south of Downtown across the St. Johns River. The neighborhood was formerly the independent city of South Jacksonville until it was annexed by Jacksonville in 1932. The neighborhood is primarily residential, with an integrated commercial sector known as San Marco Square.
The Northside is a large region of Jacksonville, Florida, and is generally understood as a counterpart to the city's other large regions, the Urban Core, Arlington, Southside, Westside, and the Beaches. The expansive area consists of historic communities, cultural landmarks, protected ecosystems and vital transportation and logistics facilities, all fundamental to the history and development of Jacksonville.
New Town is a neighborhood of Jacksonville, Florida. A primarily residential neighborhood, it is located in Jacksonville's Urban Core, immediately northwest of Downtown.