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About Us
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Habitat for Humanity Canada
Habitat for Humanity Canada is a national, non-profit organization working for a world where everyone has a
safe and decent place to live. Our mission is to mobilize volunteers
and community partners in building affordable housing and promoting
homeownership as a means to breaking the cycle of poverty.
Habitat for Humanity best achieves its mission through its
Homeownership Program which helps individuals and families in
financially vulnerable situations build and buy quality affordable
homes by reducing barriers to homeownership. Habitat for Humanity
homes are sold with:
- No down-payment
- No-interest mortgages
- Payments set at 30% of gross income or less (including
principal, property tax and insurances); and
- Homeowner training and support services
This program ensures affordable housing while building equity for
the future and contributing back to the community. In order to
qualify for this program homebuyers must be able to demonstrate
their need, be able to carry a mortgage, and contribute a minimum of
500 hours of "sweat equity" into building their own home or
providing other assistance to Habitat for Humanity.
Habitat for Humanity reduces the cost of new homes by using
modest designs, donated materials, volunteer labour, minimal
marketing expenses and by reinvesting all mortgage payments received
by homeowners back into the program, thus helping more families in
the future.
The
organization was founded in 1985, consists of 30,000+ volunteers and
over
70 Affiliate organizations from coast to coast, and is a member of
Habitat for Humanity International which spans 100 countries, has
built over 200,000 homes, and is now building a new home every 24
minutes.
Habitat for Humanity
Greater Kingston and Frontenac
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is one of over 70 affiliates of
Habitat for Humanity (HFH) Canada, and part of Habitat for Humanity
International.
We have already built six new houses in our community, and
have helped to re-build in Mexico,
Windsor-Detroit and in the
Gulf Coast after Hurricane
Katrina.
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The success of Habitat Kingston relies on the contributions of
its many volunteers. Everyone is invited to participate in the
effort to eliminate poverty-housing. |
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Habitat's History
Habitat for Humanity International was founded in 1976 in
Americus, Georgia by Linda and Millard Fuller. The program developed
from the concept of "partnership housing", where those in need of adequate shelter work side by
side with volunteers from
all walks of life to build simple, decent
houses.
In 1984 Habitat's most famous volunteer, former U.S. President
Jimmy Carter, along with his wife, Rosalyn, participated in their
first Habitat build project. Their personal involvement in Habitat's
ministry brought the organization national visibility and sparked
interest in Habitat's work across the nation.
Habitat for Humanity Canada (HFHC) was born in 1985, with the
formation of the first Canadian affiliate in Winkler, Manitoba. In
early 1988 an HFHC national office was established, which is
currently located in Waterloo, Ontario.
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Who Controls and Manages
Habitat for Humanity Canada?
The National Board of Directors determines policy and monitors
operations. Board members are dedicated volunteers who are deeply
concerned about the problems of poverty housing in Canada. The
President and CEO directs the National Office with an administrative
staff, assisted by a core group of dedicated long-term and
short-term volunteers.
Habitat for Humanity is a grass-roots movement. Concerned
citizens from all walks of life come together as volunteers to form
a Habitat for Humanity affiliate in their community. Fund raising,
house construction, family selection and other key decisions are
carried out by local affiliates.
Size and Scope of Organization
Habitat for Humanity has built more than 225,000 homes in 100
countries around the world. A new home is dedicated worldwide every
24 minutes.
Habitat for Humanity Canada has dedicated more than 1,000 homes
from coast to coast since its inception. There are currently over 71
affiliates in all 10 provinces and tthee territories, helping to
eliminate poverty housing. How does Habitat for Humanity work?
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Through volunteer labour, efficient management and tax-deductible
donations of money and materials, Habitat builds 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, no-interest mortgages. The homeowners'
monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving fund, which is used to
build more houses. Habitat for Humanity is not a give-away program.
In addition to mortgage payments, each homeowner invests hundreds of
hours of their own labour, called "sweat equity", into the building
of their house and the houses of others.
Habitat Offers
a Hand Up, Not a Hand Out
How we do it |
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Habitat for Humanity achieves our mission through the building of
simple, affordable homes for low-income families in need. The total
cost of a new Habitat Home in Canada is $110,000 to $140,000.
Building costs are kept low through the use of volunteer labour and
with donations of funds and materials. The total cost of a new
Habitat Home in developing nations is $3,000 to $15,000.
Habitat for Humanity Homeowners apply to the Habitat for Humanity
homeownership program. Habitat for Humanity sells the home at no
profit and provides a no-interest 20 to 25 year mortgage to approved
Habitat for Humanity Homeowners, who contribute 500 sweat-equity
hours in the construction of their home. Mortgage payments go into
the revolving Fund for Humanity which fuels the construction of more
Habitat for Humanity homes.
Habitat for Humanity is about home ownership as a means of
breaking the poverty cycle. For low-income, working families,
Habitat for Humanity is a hand up, not a hand out.
In the Kingston and Frontenac area, Habitat Kingston has built
six new homes. Please help us to make homeownership a reality for
more families in our community and abroad. Please support Habitat
Kingston and our future Partner Families |
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