HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

An Active Ministry of Our Saviour’s  

Our Saviour’s has been actively involved with Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity since 2003.  We have worked on 25 homes over an eight-year period. 

What is Habitat for Humanity? Habitat for Humanity’s mission statement is to eliminate poverty housing from the Twin Cities area and to make decent, affordable shelter for all people a matter of conscience.  Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity’s vision is to continue to build and preserve homes by supporting families and by engaging the community in its mission.  Its core values are centered on faith in action, hope, community, integrity, and perseverance. TCHFH builds about 50 homes in the Twin Cities area per year. 

The average cost to build a HFH home is about $184,000.  A typical home is 1400 sq. ft., three bedrooms, and two bathrooms.  From the outside TCHFH homes blend into the community.  The inside is modest, reflecting HFH’s approach of building simple, decent, and affordable homes. To qualify for a HFH home a family of four needs to earn less that 50% of the area median income and have a steady job.  The loans are at 0% interest.  The homeowners need to put in 300-500 hours of sweat equity.  Homeowners are required to take eleven classes such as maintenance/repair, finances, being a good neighbor, etc.

Since 2003, Our Saviour’s has organized a week-long work camp every summer where we supply the on-site volunteers for the entire week.  Typically, this involves about 100 volunteers, including those working on construction, lunch providers, beverage and snack providers, and those providing financial assistance.

There have been four summers where Our Saviour’s worked an additional week participating in Habitat’s A Brush with Kindness program.  This program involves prepping, painting, and making small repairs for homeowners unable to do so on their own.  Also, we have done some one-day volunteering for HFH doing landscaping.

Our Saviour’s attempts to make a $3,000 contribution to TCHFH each summer.  This helps to keep the home more affordable for the family. This has been possible because of generous donations, memorials, and the serving of hospitality Sunday mornings.