Habitat-Spokane Seeks Volunteers for Faith Build 2021
Guest Column by Caroline Schibel
This year a worldwide pandemic has amplified the need for everyone to have a decent place to live, and right now, affordable housing in Spokane County is at a crisis level.
Home sales prices have spiked dramatically, inventory is low, rental prices have risen faster than the average family’s wages, and there are not enough low-income homeownership units to meet the demand. Covid-19 has also revealed racial and economic inequalities. Those impacted most by closures, lack of childcare, and inability to pay rent are disproportionately from communities of color.
When stay-at-home orders were put in place to stop the spread of Covid-19, those of us at Habitat prayed for everyone that did not have a safe place to shelter. We know first-hand that there is no safe sheltering at home if a home does not exist. We also know that providing affordable homeownership opportunities is a significant way to confront these issues while making a lasting impact on the families that have been affected by poverty for years, if not centuries.
Habitat for Humanity-Spokane’s Homeownership Program empowers families to help themselves by being a partnership and providing families the tools they need to buy the houses that Habitat builds and renovates – at an affordable price.
Partner families spend 250 hours helping to build their own homes alongside hundreds of volunteers. They also take financial education classes (provided for free by Habitat) where they learn how to improve their credit, pay off debt, and save money. When they have completed all the program requirements, they purchase their Habitat home with the assurance that their mortgage payments will never be more than 30% of their income.
You can help Habitat-Spokane by signing up to volunteer out on the job site building houses or helping out in our Habitat-Store (100% of proceeds from the Store go back into building affordable homes for Habitat families!). No experience is necessary to volunteer.
Habitat-Spokane is also starting to coordinate a Faith Build in the Spring, and ALL faiths are welcome!
Please contact us if you’re interested in joining the committee for Faith Build 2021.
