Will County Habitat for Humanity

Homeownership program: families in need of a decent place to live build safe and affordable homes in partnership with us. Habitat houses are modestly sized. They are large enough for the homeowner family's needs, but small enough to keep construction and maintenance costs affordable. The labor of volunteers and partner families, efficient building methods, modest house sizes, and no-profit loans make it affordable for low-income families to purchase Habitat houses. Affordable homeownership helps create the conditions that free families from instability, stress, and fear and encourages self-reliance and confidence. Studies show that strong and stable households are foundational to child development and growth. When a home fosters - instead of hinders - health and safety, families can flourish. Owning an affordable home also allows homeowners to lift their entire family by saving for their futures and investing in educational opportunities - bolstering job opportunities and long-term career growth. During fiscal year 2023, Will County Habitat partnered with 6 more families to achieve the dream of homeownership bringing the total to 105 since 1988!

Neighborhood revitalization program: through our neighborhood revitalization work, we tailor our efforts by partnering locally with residents, community leaders, and organizations to best address real concerns and improve the lives of the people who live there. Using a data-driven and customizable approach, we focus on first understanding the concerns of the residents and then empowering these residents to lead the projects they want to see. Alongside Habitat, residents work with churches, schools, new and longstanding neighborhood coalitions, local government, and other community partners to achieve their goals. Because each neighborhood's challenges and aspirations are different, the framework acts as a guide that can be tailored to fit the goals of each community. That's why neighborhood revitalization can look like anything from developing public parks to organizing safety meetings with the local police department to rehabbing and reopening schools, stores, and homes.

Home preservation program: our home repair program is an outreach initiative that seeks to provide a wide range of opportunities for low to moderate-income homeowners, including veterans and seniors, who are struggling to maintain their homes due to age, disability, or family circumstances. We partner with families to help them reclaim their homes with pride and dignity. The program allows families to stay in the home where they live without being disrupted by the uncertainty, trauma, and expense of moving. Projects consist of interior and/or exterior repairs intended to increase accessibility and alleviate critical health and life safety issues, or code violations. Volunteer teams, along with subcontractors, work under the direction of Habitat staff to complete the repairs.

Financial and homebuyer education programs: as a part of the homeownership process, we believe financial education builds a more solid foundation for long-term personal success and helps alleviate any concerns or barriers on the path to homeownership. During these financial education classes, we'll cover topics such as budgeting, credit cards and credit reports, debt and loans, saving, investing and planning for the future, emergency situations, as well as Habitat homeowner mortgages. Gaining a more in-depth understanding of these important concepts Will become part of a tool belt that can be used to build a better future.