Hope remains strong for Habitat For Humanity

Habitat Santa Cruz works from the ground up, purchasing undeveloped property and building homes at highly reduced rates. The most recently finished project is a pair of three-bedroom, three bathroom units located on Belvedere Terrace in Santa Cruz. They sold at the marvelously sub-market rate of $240,000. Habitat provides the financing for homebuyer mortgages at a zero percent interest rate, and in all cases, says executive director Michael Floyd, the mortgage on a home bought from Habitat for Humanity comes out to be significantly cheaper than the average rental rates in Santa Cruz County.

To reduce the overhead costs of building a home, Habitat partners with services at all stages in the homebuilding process—contractors, lumber suppliers, and appliance and furnishings outlets that offer reduced rates or even materials free of charge. Perhaps the greatest cut in costs, though, can be attributed to the volunteered labor in the building process. Floyd points out that volunteers give their time free of expectations or non-monetary compensation, and prospective volunteers call the office daily. Last week, a small group of Army soldiers passing two idle months in Santa Cruz while away from the war in Iraq offered to volunteer in homebuilding.  

“It brings up a very basic question of humanity,” says Floyd. “Why do you want to extend your hand to help someone else? It’s because it’s rewarding.”

While current tax-supported programs provide affordable housing for residents of the city and county, Habitat For Humanity provides the service exclusively for families with still lower household income rates. Individuals or families wishing to purchase a home from Habitat must submit an application, to be reviewed by the organization’s board of directors for qualification across several criteria, including income level and legal residence status. The selected party must also volunteer at least 500 hours of time to the homebuilding process in such chores as office work, pounding nails, lunch prep, site cleanup and other activities. Habitat reps call these homebuyer duties “sweat equity.”

Habitat has operated at an approximate rate of one and a half projects completed per year. One building project—a triplex—is currently in progress, says Floyd, but he and his 12 cohorts on the Board of Directors would like to accelerate the rate of progress. The most oppressive obstacle, though, is funding, says Floyd.

“What slows us down more than anything is getting donations,” he says. “We need those donations to build homes on these very expensive properties.”

To raise proceeds for current and future projects, Habitat Santa Cruz will hold a fundraiser dinner at Chaminade on Oct. 24 in celebration of its 20th anniversary. The event will feature a multi-course food-and-wine dinner experience for $125 per seat. Ten percent of donations and proceeds for Habitat Santa Cruz are diverted to the parent organization, which operates around the world. In such nations as Armenia and Guatemala, each donated dollar can go a long way. Money is less potent in the local real estate market and tax-deductible donations are welcomed.

The cause is a good one. Since its beginning in 1976, Habitat For Humanity has built more than 250,000 homes around the world to provide shelter for more than one million people. To donate to Habitat For Humanity or to purchase tickets to the Chaminade dinner party, visit the web at habitatsc.org or call 469-4663.

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