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Who We Are
Peninsula Habitat for Humanity is a local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International that partners with families in need, along with community volunteers and donors, to build affordable ownership homes on the Peninsula. Our homes allow families working in service, manufacturing, retail and other sectors to live near their jobs in decent, safe, permanent homes. In 19 years, we have built more than 100 homes throughout San Mateo County. Currently we are building eight homes in Redwood City.
Who We Serve
Peninsula Habitat works with families who have a gross annual household income based on HUD (Housing and Urban Development) guidelines of between $40,000 and $56,550 for a family of four and can often only afford overcrowded or substandard housing. They also frequently work in service industries, move frequently, and can't afford to live where they work.
Peninsula Habitat provides these hard-working, low-income families with an opportunity to break the cycle of poverty through our affordable homeownership program, enabling families to live in the cities where they work and to create a better future for their children.
Our Program
Peninsula Habitat homeowners invest a lot of effort into their dreams, including 500 hours of "sweat equity" to help build their own homes as well as additional time for homeowner trainings. Houses are sold to partner families at no profit and financed with affordable, zero interest mortgages structured never to exceed one-third of their monthly income. Most mortgage payments, including the principal, insurance, taxes and Homeowners Association dues (when applicable), are for 30 years. The mortgage payments are deposited into our "Fund for Humanity," which is reinvested in the construction of more homes for low-income families on the Peninsula.
Why We Do It
Peninsula Habitat is committed to giving very low-income families a chance at home ownership and the American Dream, which is virtually unattainable for the majority of people living in the San Francisco Bay Area. With only 18 percent of households able to afford an entry-level home, San Mateo County is one of the least affordable counties in California and scored well below the overall U.S. affordability rate of 62 percent. The median price of a first-time home is $824,500 and requires a minimum qualifying income of $166,090.*
The need for affordable housing is important to the health and well-being of families, and especially children. Often times, the high cost of housing puts a significant burden on low-income families, forcing them to forego health care, food, clothing or other necessities in order to pay their rent. Substandard housing can also erode the family unit, diminishing parents' self-worth and hope and limiting their children's ability to succeed in school. Sharing in the joy of our Habitat families when they receive the keys to their new homes reaffirms our mission and deep desire to help more families find new hope for a better life.
Community Impact
Home ownership enables low-income families, often for the first time, to have the financial resources to focus on their children's health, education and future. Neighborhoods that welcome Peninsula Habitat benefit, too. As our families invest their time, energy and resources into their new homes, the surrounding neighbors experience a renewed sense of stability, goodwill and neighborhood pride. Over time, Habitat homeowners strengthen the social and financial fabric of the Bay Area community through lower neighborhood crime rates, higher property values and a secure workforce.
Studies have shown that homeownership can create a better future for families and communities. Compared to renters of the same age, income, and race, homeowners in the United States are:
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15% more likely to vote
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16% more likely to belong to a school or community organization
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12% more likely to maintain a garden
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28% more likely to repair or improve their homes
* California Association of Realtors, 2nd Quarter report.
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