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HFH Facts:
Since its founding in 1976, Habitat has provided housing for over 300,000 people worldwide. Since 1987, more than 600 campus chapters have been chartered throughout the world. There are now more than 1,900 affiliates in all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Puerto Rico, the territory of Guam and more than 60 other countriezs around the world.

•Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, nondenominational Christian housing organization, working in partnership with people in need to build and renovate simple, decent, affordable housing.

•A campus chapter is a student-run, student-led organization that performs three main functions:
-Building or rehabilitating houses in partnership with Habitat affiliates and homeowners
-Educating the campus and local community about affordable housing issues and the work of Habitat for Humanity
-Raising funds for the work of Habitat.

•The Bucknell University Campus Chapter began in 1993 and is directly associated with the Union/Snyder County and Harrisburg affiliates.

•Habitat for Humanity uses donations of money and materials from individuals, corporations and faith groups to build and renovate simple homes. Labor is provided by volunteers and hired professionals for technical support. Partner families are required to invest hundreds of hours of their own labor (sweat equity) into building.

•Once the home is built, it is sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments go into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses.

•Some affiliates in developing countries also receive funding grants from Habitat for Humanity International. All Habitat affiliates are asked to tithe 10 percent of their contributions to fund house-building work in other nations.

•Families express interest to their local affiliates by filling out applications. Partner families are then selected based on three main criteria:

-The need for safe and adequate housing: The family's current residence must be inadequate in some way, and they must be unable to qualify for a normal bank loan.
-The ability to pay: Habitat evaluates the family based on income, debt ratios and credit reports.
-The willingness to partner with Habitat For Humanity: Families must require a minimum of 250 'sweat equity' hours on their own home and the homes of others. They must also attend homeowner classes and budget counseling.

•Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing the families who receive Habitat houses.

•A Habitat home is a basic house with a living room, kitchen and dining area, one bathroom and a full basement (if the site allows for it). The number of bedrooms is based on the size of the family. If the family does not already own appliances, a stove, refrigerator and washer are provided.

•The family and construction committee agrees on a floor plan before construction begins, allowing the family to choose colors for floor coverings, walls and woodwork, kitchen counter and cabinets and exterior siding and shingles.

•Although no decorative features are supplied by Habitat, the family is given a $1,000.00 allowance to personalize the house. Families often choose to purchase light fixtures, ceiling fans or a larger hot water heater.

 

maintained by Jared Kern

BUCKNELL UNIVERSITY • LEWISBURG PA 17837

last update: 11/7/11