22/23 Annual Report
Adding Resilient Communities
A Word from Our Leadership
The thirty home Mateo Meadows project in Everson represents so much of how Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County matured in the 2022/2023 fiscal year. Homes in the pipeline increased from 11 to 44. More importantly, many more of our neighbors who currently live in substandard conditions now have a pathway to escape the bonds of intergenerational poverty through homeownership. This number has increased from the low thirties to over one hundred. Habitat’s impact is growing exponentially.
A $450,000 grant from Whatcom County, below market construction financing from Habitat International and significant commitments from foundations and in-kind donors means that homes will soon be under construction.
The first eight homes will be completed in 2024 and the entire community completed in early 2027, representing a thirteen-million-dollar investment in the City of Everson and Whatcom County’s affordable homeownership housing stock.
Our Construction and Strategic Planning Committees have been asking and answering questions around ways to keep our homes permanently affordable, which means the homes we build are affordable to purchase, affordable to maintain, are climate resilient and remain affordable upon resale.
Equally important, Habitat has been looking at ways to meet the overwhelming housing need while building communities in a sustainable way. This means pushing at the edges of Habitat’s traditional service and subsidy model. The Mateo Meadows project in Everson will provide a pathway to homeownership for underserved populations such as those in emergency shelter. The Everson community will also offer a housing choice for those who earn too much for Habitat financing but too little to purchase a starter home in Whatcom County.
An integral part of this year’s growth has been how Habitat approaches building community. For more detail of how we are accomplishing that, continue to read all the articles in this Annual Report along with past and upcoming newsletters. Each element has a significant impact on long-term affordability, resiliency and sustainability.
Thank you for your investment in Habitat this past year. We couldn’t have accomplished so much without you.
John Moon
Executive Director
Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County
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Volunteer Spotlight, Randy
Site Jester, Lynden Native, Fisherman
Randy Scobee is with us at the construction site nearly every Wednesday and Friday, and is regarded by many as a sort of court jester on site. As a result, he couldn’t help but crack a few jokes during this interview. His jokes and lighthearted attitude, however, don’t detract from his craftsmanship. His work may be one of the only things on site he takes all that seriously!
Randy started volunteering with us way back in 2002 and has accumulated over 2,300 volunteer hours since then. He was seeking a place to give back to his community and found Habitat for Humanity. At that time, he had plans to move a state over and recalls, “I thought when I went to Idaho I would have some time to do that, so I thought I’d get a head start here, and I did.”
Although our volunteers generally participate in every phase of construction, many have a favorite job. Some were carpenters before retiring, others know a lot about plumbing, but Randy isn’t one of these volunteers. In his own words “I love everything. There isn’t anything I don’t like…actually I don’t like hanging sheetrock.” He laughs, “That’s not fun. But that’s about the only one.”
For Randy, the main attraction to volunteering is the camaraderie that he feels with his fellow volunteers. When asked about his favorite moments from all those years of volunteering, he thinks of his fellow volunteers rather than himself, saying, “The stories people have, you know, about themselves and about their families. [The stories from] the future homeowners, it’s fun to hear about that, and it’s fun to see them.”
Our affiliate has grown and developed significantly over the course of his volunteering career, and he’s excited about our plans for the future. When asked what excites him about the work our affiliate is doing he exclaims, in typical fashion, “Oh, I love doing the same job three times!” He laughs, “Maybe you should cut that,” and adds, “I think we can learn a lot from what we’ve done in the past. I think we can improve on the quality of not only workmanship but our not having to do the same job two or three times.” He’s witnessed these improvements in craftsmanship and productivity, and the evidence is clear in the number of homes that our affiliate is beginning to build each year.
Years ago, when Randy started volunteering with Habitat for Humanity, the aspect of our mission that resonated most with him was the relationships that volunteers are able to develop with homeowners as a result of the Sweat Equity hours they fulfill. He recalls, “I did a couple of Mission trips down south of Tijuana – great time; great time. They do it once a year, they do it for one week, and they’re done.” Even on short projects like these, Randy was able to develop relationships with the future homeowners.
What has kept him coming back every week up until today remains the same. For him, the most rewarding part of “Habitat – especially when you’re retired – is that you’re more involved with the people – both the people you work with [on site] and the future homeowners.”
Habitat
Intern,
Bella
Fantasy Reader, Extroverted Introvert, Nature Explorer
Working with interns is such a fun and rewarding experience for us. It’s an opportunity to get fresh ideas, engage our student community and provide a glimpse into our day to day operations — and being a nonprofit that is simultaneously a charity, a store, and a construction company, opportunities abound.
Originally from Snohomish, Bella moved here to pursue a degree in Recreation Leadership Management at WWU. We’re grateful she decided to spend 10 weeks working with us as a Social Media and Events Intern, and that her program offered her the ability to earn college credits while working with Habitat.
Bella participated in many events – from the Raise the Roof Auction, and the Lynden Fair, to Ragnar and Tour de Whatcom – and helped spread the word about each of them. “Somehow I was able to learn a lot,” she said, “without getting overwhelmed and losing a sense of my overall goals. I’m also fortunate that I had multiple people willing to mentor and teach me.”
Having known little about Habitat for Humanity in the beginning, Bella quickly caught onto what we’re all about: “I think the Habitat program is a perfect representation of how to help give people a hand up,” she said, “Helping families become more financially stable in the long term by providing housing is so impactful. In general, the hope, and the way people help each other is such an amazing thing to be around.”
Habitat
Homebuyer,
Jose
We were excited to welcome Jose, Marta, and their three children to the Habitat program this year. They are one of the first families to join our program who are destined to move into our Mateo Meadows Community in downtown Everson.
The family is excited to join our program as well, for homeownership, and all of the things that stable housing will offer – permanency, comfortability, and security.
Jose is quickly fulfilling his Sweat Equity hours, primarily at the build site. His experience in construction makes it a comfortable place to be, though he’s excited to be learning a different set of skills, and is happy to fill in at the Habitat Store from time to time. Stephanie, his daughter, who is 18, is a weekend regular at our store, helping to organize and price items in receiving.
The family moved to Whatcom from Guatemala over a decade ago after being granted asylum, and settled down in the city of Everson. When asked about what he likes about Whatcom County, Jose told us, “The trees, the rain, the people are nice – everything. And I see a future for my younger kids too, because there is a college here.” Jose found work in construction, installing utility lines. The work is seasonal, but he likes that it offers longer periods of time to spend with his family.
When Everson flooded in late 2021, the family was living in Everson Meadows. “Our apartment was completely flooded, and we lost all we had.” Jose said. They had no choice but to move, and Everson Meadows, the only affordable housing option for Everson residents, was eventually declared beyond repair and set for demolition. In all, 26 families were suddenly without a place to live.
Jose and his family first moved into a hotel, where they had to pay daily for the stay. Eventually, “Somebody offered a camper for us to stay in, because it’s too expensive to stay in a hotel…” The family stayed in the camper as long as they could, but it was winter, “the hose in the RV started freezing,” Jose said, “if we needed to use the bathroom, we didn’t have water.”
Eventually, someone in their church offered their duplex to help them through the transition. After a month and a half, the family found a more permanent place to stay – a two bedroom apartment near downtown. Like so many structures in Everson, Nooksack and Sumas, their current apartment is riddled with flood damage; there are bumps and gaps on the floor, mold on the walls, doors get stuck and dirt seeps up the shower drains. The two-bedroom is also too small for a family of five.
Stories like Jose’s make it imperative for us to build, not only affordable housing throughout all of Whatcom, but homes that will get families through the rough weather days ahead. Our commitment to serving Whatcom’s low-income communities makes future affordability a crucial aspect of the way we build homes. Not only do we offer affordable monthly mortgage payments, but part of getting our homebuyers ready for a changing world means building climate resilient homes that are affordable today, and affordable to maintain decades into the future.
THE STORE THAT BUILDS HOMES
This year we were approached by the Haggen Foundation, and asked “What ‘Pie in the Sky’ item does Habitat wish for to improve sustainability?” From a long wish list of seemingly unattainable dreams, our team agreed on an electric vehicle which would allow us to expand our pickups, deliver items sold at our store, and take us another step away from carbon-based energy.
That dream was materialized after we received a $35,000 grant from Haggen, allowing us to purchase a beautiful, brand-new electric van.
The Store that Builds Homes is constantly changing, but our goal remains the same: make Whatcom a more affordable and sustainable place to live. We couldn’t do this without our incredibly supportive community and organizations like the Haggen Foundation, Bellingham Millwork Supply, Great Floors, Ace Hardware, Lowe’s, and Cascade Cuts – to name a few.
We would like to thank the many donors – both individuals and organizations – who have brought tons (literally!) of donations ranging from tools and hardware all the way to plants and flowers.
We’d also like to thank our community – donors, volunteers, shoppers – for contributing to our vision of a world where everyone has a place to live.
Last but not least, we’re so grateful to our lovely staff who work hard to make the store better everyday. We are thrilled to be here in Whatcom giving second-hand items another chance while continuing to build affordable homes.
Thank you for all your support!
The Habitat Store Team
Responding to the effects of climate change, and creating a climate resilient Whatcom County is part of our vision of building a world where everyone has a safe, affordable place to live. Thanks to the City of Everson, Habitat Whatcom received $20,000 in American Rescue Plan Act (ARPA) funds this year, to be used for minor repairs to homes within the city.
After beginning our work in Everson, Habitat quickly developed a partnership with Whatcom Long Term Recovery Group — a non-profit formed to provide relief and assistance to flood victims. WLTRG has a database of homes that are still in dire need of repair since the November, 2021 floods.
This partnership has allowed both organizations to expand their impact. Since WLTRG’s funds are flood specific, Habitat is able to use ARPA funds to execute other – not flood related – critical repairs it identifies in these homes.
So far, Habitat has done repairs, and in some cases replaced flooring, repaired subflooring, and installed new baseboards. We’ve also replaced doors, skirting and windows, and rebuilt a deck.
The majority of our work has been in Everson, but thanks to the partnership, we’ve broadened our reach repairing homes in Sumas and Deming.
The labor is free, thanks to our generous volunteers who donate their time on a weekly basis. This means the funds can go towards the purchase of materials allowing us to serve a greater number of families.
Our commitment to serving Whatcom’s low-income communities makes future affordability a crucial aspect of the way we build homes. The effects of climate change – long talked about as a future problem for our grandkids – are with us now. To mitigate those effects, we need to build greener, stronger, more flood-resilient homes, as we continue to repair and replace what was lost.
The damage from floods of Nov 2021 has been an integral part of all the planning for our future Mateo Meadows Community, The first step for construction will be to raise the building sites one foot above the Base Flood Elevation (BFE). The slab foundations will raise the homes another foot, putting the homes two feet above the BFE. Habitat also plans on using attic space instead of crawl spaces to run ducts, power and venting, to limit damage in the event of a far more catastrophic flood.
Along with doing our best to prepare for future floods, these homes will be built to the highest possible energy efficiency standards, using triple pane windows, air-to-air heat exchange, and a highly insulated envelope. Consequently, they’ll be incredibly efficient to heat and cool. The first 12 units of the Telegraph Townhomes, a partnership project with Kulshan Community Land Trust and the Whatcom Community Foundation, have also been equipped with both individual and community solar panels; we hope to further increase solar energy at Mateo Meadows.
Preventing damage from future floods is a crucial part of long-term affordability for our homebuyers, and long-term affordability is inexorably tied to Habitat’s goal of ending poverty forever for our partner families.
By the Numbers
5
Active House Builds
17
RV Care-A-Vanners
$116,589.82
Individual Contributions
2,064
Donuts Eaten
$26,012.21
Through the Cars for Homes Program
1
Mortgage Paid Off
Volunteers
Hours by Department
The Habitat Store
Drop offs
8,563
Store Sales
$902,544.15
Recycling Proceeds
$7,747.58
Donation Pickups
2,093
Amount Diverted from Landfill
1,083,052.98 lbs
Round Up Donations
$24,638.78
Financials
Our Growing Community
Volunteer Groups
Leaning Forward
Addressing affordability, sustainability, resiliency and upward mobility in meaningful ways.
A family of four, earning between $77,000 and $125,000 annually, a group not typically eligible for housing programs, struggle to find a starter home or fixer-upper in Whatcom County to call their own. The American Dream of owning your own home is now all but inaccessible for 48% of Whatcom County residents. This means that over 50,000 of our neighbors are one rent increase from another move, yet another school system and even further away from jobs and shopping. They will not be able to build the stability and wealth that supports a healthy economy and satisfactory quality of life. Employers find it difficult to hire at a wage they can afford, and their employees can live on. Parents worry about where their children will live. Many call this Whatcom’s housing crisis for the Missing Middle.
The solution is complex and will require government, business and non-profits doing their part, but regardless of perceived difficulty, Habitat has a vision and has begun implementing a plan to serve that family of four above earning up to $125,000 per year.
Imagine a continuum of housing types, pricing and services which will allow someone in emergency housing, if appropriate, to become a homeowner without changing school systems. Furthermore, imagine a community of permanently-affordable, super energy-efficient homes and retail spaces built to be resilient to a changing climate which are close to schools, shopping and public transportation.
Mateo Meadows in Everson, a thirty-home community, will incorporate all the above aspirations to build a more affordable, sustainable, and resilient community the Missing Middle can afford. But wait, there is more. The master plan includes retail space which could be used for a beauty salon owner, or similar business, which serves the local community and where the owner lives above their shop.
Equally important, a spectrum of tenancy options will mean that families living in emergency or temporary housing will have an opportunity to rent, but with a pathway to homeownership through the ability to build financial equity, even as a renter. That Missing Middle family of four who were previously blocked from homeownership opportunities because they earned too much to qualify for housing programs, along with that single parent holding down two jobs and escaping unhealthy relationships now have a pathway to the American Dream.
Over the next decade, Habitat hopes to expand the Mateo Meadows model to every community it builds. When Habitat can borrow at the amount it lends (0%) it can build similar communities, at scale, wherever it is needed and welcome.
Habitat Champions
Habitat for Humanity in Whatcom County extends our deepest thanks to everyone who has donated this past year. Thank you to the thousands who made individual contributions through the Annual Appeal, monthly Carpenter’s Club, various fundraisers, or dropped off their gently used items at our donation dock or purchased items from the store. We’d also like to thank the many Foundations and Community Supporters who share our vision of a world where everyone has a decent place to call home. We couldn’t do what we do without your support! Thank you.
AARP Foundation
Ace Hardware Bellingham
Amazon Smile
At Home Store
Bank Of America Charitable Foundation
Banner Bank
Belcher Swanson Law Firm PLLC
Bellingham Grocery Outlet
Bellingham Millworks
Bellingham Underwriters
Beneficial State Bank
Boundary Bay Brewery
Budget Septic
Builders Alliance
Builders FirstSource
Building Industry Association- BIAWC
Career Path Services
Cars For Homes Program
Cascade Connections
Cascade Natural Gas
Chicago Title
Chrysalis Inn & Spa
City Of Everson
Congregation Beth Israel
Crave Catering
Credo Construction
EnvName
Ethos West Construction
Express Pros
Exxel Pacific
ExxonMobil Foundation
Favinger Plumbing & CAZ Construction
First Christian Church (Disciples of Christ)
First Fed Bank
First Fed Community Foundation
Fred Meyers
Furnishings Now
G&R Architects
GAF
General Teamsters’ Local 231
Great Floors
Guardian Northwest Title Co.
Habitat Home Improvement
Habitat Home Inspections
Haggen Foundation
Haggen’s
Heritage Bank
HFHI
Honcoop Gravel Inc.
IBEW Local 191
Industrial Credit Union
Interfaith Coalition
James K. Papp Photographer
John B. Watts Charitable Fund
John Deere
John L Scott Real Estate
Kroger
Kulshan Community Land Trust
Lafeens Donuts
Lairmont Manor
Larson Gross, PLLC
Lautenbach Industries
Lettered Streets Covenant Church
Loretta P Russo Charitable Fund
Lowe’s Bellingham
Lydia Place
Lynden Interiors
Management Services Northwest
MastersBlend Coffee
MT Shoebox, LLC
North Puget Sound Carpenters Union #71
Northwest Surveying & GPS
Northwest Youth Services
NW Fence
NW Shippers Yard
Opportunity Council
Peaks NW Roofing
Peoples Bank
Perry Pallets
Phillips 66 Ferndale Refinery
Presentation Art Studio, LLC
PTLA Real Estate Group
Rice Insurance, LLC
Ridwell
RV Care-A Vanners Program
Samson Rope Technologies
Samuel’s Furniture
Seeking Health LLC
St James Presbyterian Church
St. Paul’s Episcopal Church
State Farm
TaylorMade Truck Driving School
Blackburn Family
The Eleanor & Henry Jansen Foundation
Thrivent Choice Program
Umpqua Bank Charitable Foundation
United Rentals Branch 921
Unity Spiritual Center
Village Books
Washington Conservation Corps
Washington Federal Foundation
Wells Fargo Foundation
West Coast Windows
WestEdge Credit Union
Western Forest Products
Westside Building Supply
Whatcom Community Foundation
Whatcom County
Whatcom County Association of Realtors
Whatcom Educational Credit Union
Whatcom Events
Whatcom Humane Society
Whirlpool
Wilson Engineering
Women Sharing Hope
Woods Coffee
WorkSource
World Relief
Our Team
Board of Directors
Gina Stark, President
Eli Mackiewicz, Vice President
Ryan Kinney, Secretary/Treasurer
Mike Roberts, Director
Marlin Hendricks, Director
Isabel Meaker, Director
Lorrie Melton, Director
Habitat Staff
Alexis West – Donation Ambassador
Alic Tung – Training Manager
Andrew Bridgeforth – Construction Manager
Brady Skewis – Donation Ambassador
Chris Pritchard – Volunteer Crew Lead
Cody Hutton – Donation Ambassador
Courtney Bartley – Online Store Facilitator
Eleni Karadimas – Store Logistics Coordinator
Emily Brendle – Donation Ambassador
Emily Waters – Donation Ambassador
Erika Moore – Volunteer Development Manager
Faith Seivers – Donation Ambassador
Fiona Cowell – Front-end Manager
Fred Sheppard – Resource Development Manager
Gus Fales – Donation Ambassador
Hillary Pritchard – Operations Director
Ixchel Kissmann – Donation Ambassador
Jake Hernandez – Donation Ambassador
Jenrri Hough – Donation Ambassador
John Moon – Executive Director
Joshua Russel – Donation Ambassador
Kelli Fulton – Logistics and Procurement Coordinator
Linda Montoya – Bookkeeper
Luidmyla Reshitnyk – Donation Ambassador
Marcelo Pratesi – Advancement and Communications Director
Nate Underdown – Donation Ambassador
Perry Olason – Procurement Manager
Rue Macdonald – Front-end Manager
Skye Saling – Donation Ambassador
Tralayna Haslett – Volunteer Development Manager
Troy Buist – Construction Manager
Uriah Wilston – Operations Manager
Victor Paulson – Receiving Manager
Yggdy Winter – Store Logistics Coordinator
Zachariah Leher – Front-end Manager
Zachary Elicker – Volunteer Crew Lead
Thank you for being part of another year of building homes, community & hope.
