Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County

Building Homes - Building Lives - Building Hope

Mission Statement

Habitat For Humanity in Whatcom County works in partnership with God and community to provide simple, decent housing for people in need by building or renovating houses--creating affordable homes so families can live and grow into all that God intended.

We are but one of 2,100 affiliates around the world in 87 countries, an outgrowth of a grassroots movement begun in 1976. Following the vision, we strive to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action, by making squalor, unhealthy, substandard housing politically, socially and religiously unacceptable.

"The test of our progress is not whether we add to the abundance of those who have much. It is whether we provide enough to those who have little ".
--Franklin D. Roosevelt--

"We have a national responsibility that the childhoods of our next generation are not scarred by substandard housing and homelessness."
--Robert Adams--

"It is important to convince people that housing is not just a "social welfare" program; it is also an economic recovery program."
--Peter Dreier--

30 million households

A NEW COMMANDMENT I GIVE UNTO YOU, THAT YOU LOVE ONE ANOTHER. --JESUS

30 million households live in problematic housing
92% of households with children living in these conditions receive no help
14.6 million households qualify for government help
4.1 million households actually receive government help
12.3 million people live in "worst-case" housing needs, an all-time record high
6.3 million children, elderly, and disabled constitute nearly half of these millions

The Housing Market

Problematic housing

By this all men will know that you are my disciples, if you love one another. --Jesus

30 million households--approximately 75 million people--live with one or more of three elements defined by the U.S. Housing and Urban Development as problem housing.

too costly--they pay an excessive percentage of their income on rent and utilities
too crowded--they live with more people than there are rooms in the house
physically inadequate--they live without electricity, hot water, toilet, tub or shower

Less than everyone else

If you would be perfect, go, sell what you possess and give to the poor. --Jesus

Income Statistics for Whatcom County, Washington

FAMILY SIZE	1	2	3	4	5	6	7	8
Median Annual Income	$40,500	$46,300	$52,100	$57,900	$62,500	$67,200	$71,800	$76,400
Monthly Income 50% Median	$1,688	$1,929	$2,171	$2,413	$2,604	$2,800	$2,992	$3,183
Monthly Income 25% Median	$869	$965	$1,085	$1,206	$1,302	$1,400	$1,495	$1,592

poverty level

$ 8,628

$12,047

$14,071

$18,072

$22,377

$25,738

$29,615

$33,121

Low income is defined as under 80% of local Median Income
Very low income is defined as less than 50% of local Median Income
Extremely low income is defined as less than 30% of local Median Income
Poverty level is defined by the U.S. Census Bureau, listed here for 2002

Worst-case housing

Truly I say..., as you did it to one of the least of these my brethren, you did it to me. --Jesus

In 1999, the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development reported that nearly 11 million people live in "worst-case" housing. This means their families receive no government assistance; make less than 50% of their area median income; pay more than 50% of their income for rent and utilities; and/or live in housing with severe deficiencies like no hot water, electricity, toilet, tub or shower. Nearly half of these are children, the elderly and disabled.

Crisis housing in Whatcom County

Every one to whom much is given, of him will much be required.--Jesus

Edged out of home ownership, low-income families face an even grimmer rental picture...

in the US 14.8 million households earn less than $12,000 a year
In 2005 a 3 bedroom rental unit in Bellingham costs an average of $680 a month--more than 70% of a $10,000/year income
To afford the median fair market price of a two-bedroom rental, a household needs to earn $13 per hour: Washington's minimum wage is just over $7.35 - only in two wage earner families will this work.
There are not enough extremely low-income rental units available

Government Response

Housing act of 1949

The Housing Act of 1949 was the government's first breakthrough response to a housing shortage that Congress declared was necessary to bring about "the general welfare and security of the nation." This Act gave us the housing assistance many of us are familiar with. By 1997, 48 years after its inception, 66% of Americans owned their own homes--a record high.

This leaves 33% without homes. Habitat For Humanity seeks to help the unprotected by building affordable homes. And we're breaking the cycle of poverty in just one generation. Click here for details.

There is a temptation to interpret subsidized housing as a "give-away" program--until we realize that 66% of American households already enjoy their own form of subsidy.

For example, in 1995, households earning more than $100,000 a year received nearly $29 billion in federal tax relief on the interest they paid toward their mortgage. By comparison, the entire 1999 budget of the Housing and Urban Development (HUD) was only $25 billion.

$25 billion is not enough. Of the 30 million households who need help, only 4 million actually obtain aid. Habitat helps by building homes at no profit for some of the remaining 26 million.

The largest piece of HUD's $25 billion pie goes toward their voucher program. Begun under Section 8 of the Housing Act of 1974, housing vouchers allow low-income families to choose to rent or purchase safe and affordable privately-owned housing. Typically, these households pay 30% of their income for rent/mortgage and utilities; the voucher covers the rest. Unfortunately, the waiting lists are long and are growing longer.

Habitat for Humanity tries to reach those for whom HUD has no budget--households barely getting by on minimum wage.

Habitat's Response 3 ways to increase home ownership
What U.S. Census Bureau Says	What Habitat For Humanity Does
*lower* interest payments lower down payments down payment subsidy	no interest payments $500 down payment houses sold at no profit