Who We Are
Founded in 1988, Habitat for Humanity East Bay was formed as an independent affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International serving Alameda and Contra Costa Counties. Our mission is to create successful homeownership opportunities for families with limited incomes by building sustainable housing and revitalizing neighborhoods.
As the largest Habitat affiliate in the Bay Area, Habitat East Bay currently builds approximately 20 homes per year. To date, Habitat East Bay has completed the construction of 199 single-family homes in Alameda and Contra Costa counties, and funded the construction of 432 additional Habitat homes in more than 20 countries overseas.
We recently completed a 22-home development in Livermore, a four-home develoment in Antioch, and 20 homes in East Oakland. We are currently building an eight-home development in Alameda, and 6 homes in Oakland. Our developments for 2009-2010 include a 28-home, and a 22-home development in Oakland, a nine-home development in Bay Point, and a ten-home development in El Sobrante. Having built 200 homes in our first 20 years, our goal is to build the next 200 homes in just 5 years!
Green Building
Habitat East Bay builds homes that are not only affordable, but also sustainable, built with green materials and methods like 24-ince-on-center framing, photovoltaic (solar) panels and engineered lumber. As one of the leading Habitat affiliates in affordable green building in the U.S. and the first in the Bay Area, Habitat East Bay started building green in 2002 and since then has completed over 50 green, solar homes. These homes have been certified through California’s GreenPoint Rated system and some through the national Leadership in Energy and Environmental Design (LEED) certification system. Habitat East Bay builds green to take better care of the environment, Habitat homeowners and volunteers.
The Housing Crisis in the Bay Area
Despite the slight drop in the housing market, Bay Area house prices continue to climb. The California Association of Realtors demonstrates that the Bay Area continues to be one of the most expensive housing markets in the nation, with the median home prices in the San Francisco Bay Area at $706,880 ( www.car.org February 2008).
This continued escalation in housing prices results in an on-going shortage of affordable housing that has reached crisis proportions. For hard-working families whose earnings place them in the low to very-low income classification, finding a decent, affordable place to live in the Bay Area is an extremely difficult, if not impossible task. As a result, even more families are forced to live in substandard or overcrowded housing conditions.
Who We Serve
Habitat East Bay addresses the critical need for affordable housing by providing homeownership opportunities for Bay Area families in need, serving low and very-low income families (families whose income is 40% - 80% of median income, as defined by the US Department of Housing and Urban Development) in Alameda and Contra Costa counties.
Depending on criteria for each development, income requirements may range from a minimum of approximately $26,800 for a family of two to a maximum of $88,488 for a family of eight.
What We Do
Our program provides first time affordable home ownership opportunities for low- and very low-income families with children. In addition to working on their homes through our sweat equity or self-help program, families also attend workshops on budgeting, credit repair, conflict resolution, and home maintenance, repair and landscaping. As a result of participating in our program, partner families succeed in purchasing an affordable home and acquire skills to help with their long-term success. Through this simple but profound act, families gain economic stability, safety, and a foundation upon which to build a brighter future for their children. In addition, through their experience in the program, participating partner families in many cases gain improved self-esteem and a new awareness of their ability to positively influence the course of their lives and their community.
How it Works
Habitat for Humanity East Bay approaches the challenge of providing affordable homeownership opportunities to low-income families in an innovative way. Affordable homes are built using a large amount of volunteer labor, donated funds and materials. Then the homes are sold at affordable prices to qualifying low-income families.
Qualified families, selected on an equal opportunity basis, buy Habitat homes at affordable prices, through 30-year zero-interest mortgages. In additionally, each family contributes hundreds of hours of volunteer labor or “sweat equity” to the construction of their home. This "sweat equity" or "self-help" component of the program is a major investment on the part of the homeowner, and increases homeowner pride of ownership. "Sweat equity" can consist of home building as well as community projects and leadership development classes. Once the homes are sold to the partner families, the mortgage payments received by Habitat are then reinvested to help fund the construction of future Habitat homes.
Volunteers
Volunteers play a critical role in our program, and are involved in every aspect of our work, including: construction, committee work, fundraising, advocacy and more. Habitat for Humanity recruits large numbers of volunteers to help construct Habitat homes, and in so doing strives to promote volunteerism as a collective community value. To date, over 37,500 volunteers have participated in the construction of the homes built by Habitat for Humanity East Bay. An average of 200 volunteers participate in the program every week.
Our Funding
Our primary sources of private funding are individuals, corporations, foundations, and faith organizations. In addition, we receive grants and no-interest redevelopment agency loans from local government sources.
Recently, Charity Navigator awarded Habitat East Bay the prestigious 4-star rating -- an award that Charity Navigator says, "means your supporters can be assured that your charity is worthy of their trust and commitment." We are happy to report that 91% of funds go to our programs, while only 9% is used as administrative and fundraising costs. Our organizational budget for the year 2007 is $14 million (including program and operations).
Our Vision for the Future
As we continue creating sustainable housing opportunities and revitalizing neighborhoods, HEB volunteers, staff, families and friends will celebrate our 20th anniversary and the completion of our 200th home in 2008! Going forward we aim to increase our yearly output of homes to at least 45 houses per year by 2010. In doing so, we hope to continue revitalizing neighborhoods through environmentally sustainable affordable homeownership opportunities for low-income families in the East Bay.
Please join us in our commitment to that goal!
