About Us

Habitat's Mission

• a grassroots Christian nonprofit organization dedicated to the elimination of poverty and substandard housing worldwide.
  
• believes that every person deserves, at least, a simple and decent place in which to live and grow into all that God intends for them to be
  
• builds or renovates houses in partnership with families who qualify for homeownership based on three criteria: need, a willingness to partner with HFH and an ability to repay a no-interest mortgage
  
• works with people of all faiths and people of no faith
  
• sells its houses at no profit, with no interest charged
  
• has built and renovated over 225,000 houses worldwide since 1976

History
Habitat for Humanity International (HFHI) was started by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1976. Since its inception, more than 200,000 homes have been built or rehabilitated worldwide to fill critical housing needs. Partnership Housing - families and volunteers working together building houses.  The idea that became HFHI, was begun at Koinonia Farm outside Americus, Georgia in 1968 when the Fullers left a comfortable lifestyle to begin a life of Christian service at the Farm. Their work soon took them to Africa to help start a successful house-building program in Zaire. In 1976 they returned to America after three years in Zaire. The framework for their vision of eliminating substandard housing had been architected. With the help of many supporters, including Jimmy and Rosalyn Carter, Habitat for Humanity International was created and gained worldwide visibility.

Habitat and its Affiliates
Habitat is a worldwide, grass-roots movement. There are more than 2,100 active affiliates in 100 countries, including all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Use the Habitat for Humanity International affiliate search to find Habitat affiliates in other areas.

Habitat is a grass-roots movement. Concerned citizens from all walks of life come together as volunteers  to form a Habitat affiliate in their community. Fundraising, house construction, family selection and other key decisions are carried out by the local affiliates. HFHI headquarters, located in Americus, Ga., provides information, training, support and other services to Habitat affiliates worldwide.

What is Habitat doing in Middlesex County?
The Middlesex Habitat for Humanity or Connecticut, Inc. (MHFH) affiliate was started in 1996 by a group of people eager to tackle the housing needs of their communities. The students of Wesleyan University were already committed to Habitat for Humanity International. Their campus chapter, WeShelter, was instrumental in the creation of the MHFH affiliate and works closely with us on each new building project. MHFH has built or rehabbed 8 houses in Middlesex County plus assembled two-four bedroom house frames for Gulf Coast hurricane victims. Our 11th house will be completed in January 2008. We acquire land  and houses to rehab through property donations, tax liens and very low-cost sales from both individuals and towns. With the dedication of many volunteers, we are providing an American Dream – home ownership – to partner families in our Middlesex County communities. You can help us carry on this important work.

Serving Centerbrook, Chester, Cromwell, Deep River, Durham, Essex, East Haddam, East Hampton, Haddam, Higganum, Ivoryton, Middlefield, Middletown, Old Saybrook, Portland, and Westbrook

How does Habitat provide houses?
Habitat provides partner families with a hand up, not a hand out. Our partner families agree to repay the cost of their home to Habitat via a no-interest, no-profit mortgage which is held by the Middlesex Habitat for Humanity. HFH is an equal housing organization. We follow HUD and Habitat for Humanity International guidelines in our family selection process, considering those with the greatest need first.

Why do we need affordable housing here?

• Millions of working families in the United States must pay over 50% of their income for housing.
• 60% of Connecticut residents cannot afford a mortgage for an average priced houce in CT!
• Many families in Middletown who are granted Section 8 rent subsidies (awarded on a lottery system) are unable to find an eligible unit to rent. We can put families into their own homes at a lower cost.
• Many formerly homeless but working families are unable to graduate from supportive transitional housing in Middlesex County because permanent housing is unavailable.

How We Do it
Through volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials, Habitat builds and rehabilitates simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families at no profit, financed with affordable, no-interest loans. The homeowners' monthly mortgage payments are recycled into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses.

Family Selection
Whether in the U.S. or overseas, families in need apply to local Habitat affiliates. The affiliate's family selection committee considers applicants' level of need, their willingness to become partners in the Habitat program and their ability to repay the no-interest loan. Every affiliate follows a nondiscriminatory policy of family selection. Neither race nor religion is a factor in choosing Habitat homeowner families.

If your family, or a family you know, is in need of decent, affordable housing, please check our Apply for a Home page where you will find information on the availability, size, costs, and sweat equity requirements for Habitat houses in our area, as well as information on the application process.

Donations
Donations  are used as designated by the donor. Gifts received by us that are designated to a specific building project are forwarded to that project. Any undesignated gifts are used where most needed. Our most recent audited financial statement is available upon request.

Management
Our Board of Directors determines policy and monitors operations in conjunction with a board of advisors. Board members are dedicated volunteers who are deeply concerned about the problems of poverty housing in our community. We operate with an administrative staff, assisted by a core group of clerical and support employees and supplemented by long-term and short-term volunteers.

Government Support
Habitat does not accept government funds for the construction of new houses or for the renovation or repair of existing houses. Ocassionally, we accept government funds for "stage-setting" infrastructure needs (streets, sewers, etc.) , or for the acquisition of land, so long as the funds have no strings attached that would violate Habitat's principles.