Habitat for Humanity of Wake County

At Habitat home dedications all over the world, we have a tradition of presenting a bible to each homebuyer. Our founders were convinced that Jesus was radically inclusive, and that everyone deserved a safe, affordable place to live. Here at Habitat Wake, we continue this practice of gifting bibles at each of our home dedications. And we also have a growing tradition of recognizing and including the beliefs of all our homeowners. Read more about why this is so important to us here.

Uniting through Faith | Habitat for Humanity Wake County Habitat for Humanity International was started as a Christian ministry, back in 1976. At home dedications all over the world, we have a tradition of presenting a bible to the homebuyers. We have this tradition because the founders of Habitat started this ministry based on what they read in the pages...

Thank you to all who attended yesterday's Old Poole Place neighborhood town hall. Some of the administrative realities of a new housing development are HOA meetings, advocating for neighborhood common areas, and coming together as a community. Our applications for new homeowners remain open and ongoing. If you'd like to explore the possibility of purchasing a Habitat home, please find more information here! https://www.habitatwake.org/apply

Thank you our friends at Wells Fargo for helping to build affordable housing in Wake County!

August is National Make-a-Will Month, and more than one million people—including members of our Habitat Wake community—have used our partner FreeWill to make or update their wills for free. Join them today! https://bit.ly/4dhJ9C7

Did you know? You can donate your used car to Habitat! 🚘 Cars for Homes turns your car donation into cash that supports Habitat for Humanity’s affordable homeownership programs in the Triangle. Learn more! 🏡✨

Donate your car | Habitat for Humanity Wake County Donate your car to Habitat to support local families in Wake and Johnston counties. Vehicle donations are quick and easy, and may be tax deductible!

Did you know that almost every Habitat Wake home has a hidden art gallery tucked inside its walls? Baffles are installed in the interior of homes between the roof lines/eaves overhang and outside wall soffit. They can be made of cardboard, metal, foam, or plastic. Because volunteers must be at least 16 years old to work on the construction site, we give younger kids the opportunity to decorate baffles as a way to participate! We love giving kids in our area the chance to get involved with our work, and are always amazed by the masterpieces they create.

To learn more about this project, see our website here https://www.habitatwake.org/faith

Habitat's vision is of a world where everyone has a decent place to live. Well recently, that vision extended to an unexpected feline friend discovered at one of our construction sites!

When a team of AmeriCorps volunteers and construction staff heard meows coming from the inside of a subcontractor's truck, they paused work to investigate. After some quick tinkering under the car and a YouTube video playing friendly cat sounds, our Construction Crew Leader, Woody, was able to coax the scared kitten out and pull him to safety. Woody took the kitten home that night and set out to find him a forever home.

The cat, now fully grown and named Puff, has been happily adopted by Woody's brother and children. Puff is enjoying life as a house cat and beloved pet!

We're grateful to our compassionate team for going beyond the call of duty to take care of Puff and find him a good home. Happy International Cat day!

To learn more about our typical work (affordable housing for humans!) please see our website to learn more at www.habitatwake.org


https://www.habitatwake.org/blog/habi-cat-humanity

Nine-year-old Cora June swapped a traditional birthday for a weekend-long lemonade fundraiser, collecting $1,350 for Habitat Wake! 🍋 Read more at habitatwake.org/blog/lemonade-stand-for-habitat

We want to extend a huge thank you to Cora June and her family for working hard to support us. We know her dedication to serving the community will go a long way in inspiring others to find creative ways to support local nonprofits like Habitat Wake! 💙🏠

We're hiring for a few positions on our construction team and encourage you to apply! 🔨 Our construction teams work to coordinate our many build projects, and we could not complete our mission without them! Join us in building homes, communities and hope in the Triangle! 🏡 Visit habitatwake.org/jobs to apply now!

Open positions:
Construction Superintendent
Construction Field Manager
Americorps Crew Leader

We often run across the myth that Habitat gives homes away for free. In reality, Habitat sells homes to qualifying families at a 30-year mortgage with affordable monthly payments that never exceed 30% of household income. Habitat Homeowners also work incredibly hard to contribute 200 "sweat equity" volunteer hours and attend financial classes to prepare for homeownership! To learn more about our program or to see if you might qualify to apply, please visit habitatwake.org/apply

Your gently-used furniture can help a local family build and purchase an affordable home! 🏡 Donate to one of the 10 Triangle ReStores to support affordable housing in Wake, Johnston, Durham and Orange counties!

We even offer free pick-up if you have at least two large, qualifying items. Visit trianglerestores.org/donate to learn more!

Schneider Electric was out on site with us again today! We love the energy this team always brings with them to their build days. Thank you to all of our volunteers and partners who show up and participate in our work. With your commitment, we are able to continue building homes, communities, and hope.🏡

The Habitat Wake admin offices and ReStores will be closed tomorrow, July 24, for an all-staff meeting. Thank you for your understanding!

With countless voices weighing in on millennial homeownership challenges and trends, we wanted to spotlight one individual’s story. Meet Mary! She’s a copywriter, textile artist, and one of our brand new partner homebuyers! We were lucky enough to connect with her about her experiences. Here’s what she had to say:

What challenges did you face pursuing homeownership?

“When I graduated from college, the economy was still trying to get back on track after the 2008 housing crisis, so it was difficult for me to find a well-paying job. Like many other millennials, I took out federal student loans for college, and because I didn’t have the income to make big payments, I took forbearance and paid the minimum amount. Ignorance isn’t always bliss, especially when student loan interest is growing to a scarily high number that’s almost double what you took out in the first place. Around 2017 I pulled my head out of the sand and started a debit snowball to try to reduce my student loan debt and focused on the loans with the highest interest. With student loans around my neck and the way the market is right now, I didn’t have the money to go over asking price for a home.”

Mary is among the 25% of millennials who provide caretaking support to a parent.

“Living alone or with roommates was never a real option for me because I knew it would be more responsible to live with my mom, Billie. My mom has received disability since 1992 because of her Chronic Fatigue Syndrome, and now that she is 72, lots of other health concerns have surfaced. I feel better living with her so I can help her with daily tasks around the house and errands.”

What does homeownership mean for you in the future?

“Homeownership means stability and having more control over my financial future. It means building equity in my home instead of paying rent to a landlord who doesn’t care. My house will be easier for my mom to live in because there aren’t stairs to climb like at our current apartment. I’m glad that my home is all on one level so we can both age gracefully in it.”

To learn more about Habitat Wake please visit the website link in bio.

This June, amid the flurry of Home Builders Blitz, an unexpected reunion unfolded. Among the many subcontractors coming out that week was Tyleam Edwards and his insulation crew. But this wasn't his first time stepping onto a Habitat for Humanity site.

"I did a youth program back in, probably like 2016. The program was nice. I got my carpentry license, my GED, all together. The work with Habitat helped connect me with a lot of job opportunities and I've been working in construction ever since. When I got this assignment today and saw it was for Habitat, I came out here wondering if Brad would be here and he was!" Tyleam says.

In the middle of the chaos and commotion of subcontractors arriving, our VP of construction, Brad McHugh, heard his name called and turned to see a familiar face.

"It was awesome to re-connect with Tyleam. I had not seen him in a couple years. Tyleam worked with us through a Youth Build Internship. He was a total class clown back then - he was only sixteen! To see him today, unexpectedly, on a construction site running an insulation crew and seeing how far he's come...it was a really awesome experience being able to re-connect with him." Brad says.

The two had a chance to catch up, and it was clear that even after six years, their connection remained strong. Brad mentioned that it's sometimes challenging to know what the long-term impacts of certain programs will be, but seeing Tyleam years later is the best example of why we continue engaging the community in so many different ways. From participating in a youth program to running a crew contracted for a Habitat build, this full circle moment was truly one for the books!

To learn more about our programs and volunteer options, visit our website https://www.habitatwake.org/volunteer

https://www.habitatwake.org/blog/construction-site-reunion

Will you inform the Wake County Commissioners that you support the creation of a housing acquisition fund? This fund would help nonprofits like Habitat Wake acquire land for the purpose of building affordable housing. You can sign our petition at: https://shorturl.at/9f8eb

Thank you to our friends at Schneider Electric for joining us out at Old Poole Place today! Your generosity and hard work are making a real difference in our community! 🏡❤️

Thank you so much to Wells Fargo for joining us on site today at Flower's Place in Knightdale! This neighborhood is coming along thanks to the commitment of our volunteers, and the year after year support of our truly make a difference in what we can accomplish. 🏡👏

Check out this report released by National Low Income Housing Coalition!

Out of Reach shows how difficult it is for renters to find affordable housing. Find out how much a renter must earn to afford a modest home at https://nlihc.org/oor

Our partner homebuyer, Hasna, not only purchased a home for herself but also helped guide her parents through the same process. Now, they will be living just two doors apart, creating a beautiful intergenerational neighborhood! Read more about her story here: https://www.habitatwake.org/blog/generations-next-door-daughter-and-parents-become-neighbors

Wondering if you qualify to purchase an affordable home with Habitat Wake? Visit habitatwake.org/apply to read about our program and complete the application!

Habitat Wake wishes everyone a very happy Fourth of July! In celebration of the holiday, our admin offices and ReStores will be closed. We will resume normal operations on Friday, July 5. We hope everyone has a safe and restful day!

As Pride Month concludes, we look back on efforts made by organizations in our area to support and uplift LGBTQ+ communities. This year, we emphasized Habitat Wake's dedication to being an inclusive organization and supporting affordable housing for people of all backgrounds through volunteer build days, community outreach and networking events. 🏳️‍🌈🔨 Check out the Pride Month recap at https://www.habitatwake.org/blog/building-an-inclusive-future

We want to extend special thanks to event sponsor Enact Mortgage Insurance and incredible community partners LGBT Center of Raleigh and Harmony: NC LGBT+ Allied Chamber of Commerce! We appreciate your help in bringing people together to build homes, communities and hope in the Triangle! 🏠

We had a fantastic day at Old Poole Place with members of this year's Triangle Business Journal 40 Under 40 class! These up-and-coming Triangle leaders joined forces to construct a home for a local family. Thank you all for your hard work and dedication to our community!

🌟 A heartfelt thank you to Publix for supporting our home preservation initiatives in the Triangle. Your generous support allows us to help homeowners with repairs and modifications to ensure they can continue living safely and comfortably in their own homes. Together, we're making a difference to enhance the quality of life in our community. 🙏🏡❤️

🎉🏳️‍🌈 Join us at Out! Raleigh as we celebrate pride and equality in our community! Stop by our booth to learn more about volunteer opportunities and the importance of affordable housing for everyone! 🌈❤️ https://outraleighpride.org/

Today we capped off this amazing week by dedicating the four 2024 Home Builders Blitz houses and celebrating our builders, vendors, sponsors, staff and homebuyers who made it all possible. We are always humbled by the community it takes to build Habitat homes, and never more so than during Blitz week: from the subcontractors and vendors who donated their time and made space in their schedules, to the hospitality sponsors who kept everyone fed, to the builders who spent months preparing for this week. We are so thankful for you all!

And some of our Blitz homeowners are moving in tomorrow!

Special thanks to our builder teams: Homestead Building Company McNeill Burbank Midtown Custom Homes, LLC Revolution Homes Rock Creek Builders, Inc. Sundance Signature Homes Triple A Homes, Inc. and Upton & Co.

Thank you to our presenting sponsor for this year’s Blitz: Cornerstone Building Brands

As well as to our other wonderful event sponsors: First Bank A&M Premier Roofing and Construction AssuredPartners CrossCountry Mortgage, LLCColorGraphic: Signs, Banners, & Vehicle Wraps G3 RoofingFMB New Homes

And the hospitality sponsors who kept us well-fed and in good spirits: 321 Coffee Advance Concrete, LLC Bass Nixon & Kennedy Builders FirstSource The Butcher's Market Raleigh,
C&L Sales Consultant, LLC, Coastal Credit Union Fidelity Bank Fifth Third Bank FMI Corporation Jones Insurance Morning Rolls Onsite Resources TowneBank Wegmans TightLines Designs

And finally, to City of Raleigh - Government, Home Builders Association of Raleigh-Wake County and Wake County Government for your ongoing support.