Habitat for Humanity
Seventeen houses: that's how many houses St. Thomas volunteers have helped build for Habitat for Humanity over the years. That is seventeen families who have homes who didn't before. And Lobsterfest makes it happen each year. Read on to learn more about Habitat for Humanity. To volunteer, contact Dick Branick.
What is Habitat for Humanity? Habitat has built more than 250,000 houses around the world, providing more than 1 million people in more than 3,000 communities with safe, decent, affordable shelter. HFHI was founded in 1976 by Millard Fuller along with his wife, Linda. |
How does it work?
Through volunteer labor and donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable loans. The homeowners’ monthly mortgage payments are used to build still more Habitat houses.
Habitat is not a giveaway program. In addition to a down payment and the monthly mortgage payments, homeowners invest hundreds of hours of their own labor — sweat equity — into building their Habitat house and the houses of others.
What does a Habitat house cost?
Throughout the world, the cost of houses varies from as little as $800 in some developing countries to an average of nearly $60,000 in the United States.
Habitat houses are affordable for low-income families because there is no profit included in the sale price. Mortgage length varies from seven to 30 years.
What part does St. Thomas play in local Habitat building efforts?
St. Thomas parishioners have been building houses since the early 1990s. As of 2008, we have helped fund and build 17 houses. Usually several local churches pool resources—both money and personnel—to build at least one house each year. St. Thomas funds its Habitat outreach through Lobsterfest.
If you would like to volunteer to help, or for more information, contact Dick Branick, or check out these web sites.
