Houston Habitat for Humanity Blog

If you’ve kept an eye on our blog, you saw posts from Courtney, who recently prepared to go to Haiti and serve alongside Habitat for Humanity International. The group built 100 new homes in Leogane, and Courtney has shared some of her photos here.

Also check out the Habitat International project wrap-up video!

In the post from last week Courtney Brinegar talks about her decision to go to Haiti with Habitat for Humanity International. Well…it’s now day 4 of their trip and Courtney is keeping us updated via her website, below. Check it out to see some of the progress!
http://www.indiegogo.com/Help-Send-Courtney-to-Haiti

You can also see videos from the trip here: http://www.youtube.com/habitatforhumanity

Howdy! My name is Courtney Brinegar and I am a young architectural designer living and working in Houston. I wanted to announce that I have been selected as one of the 400 volunteers to travel to Haiti with Habitat for Humanity International as part of the annual Carter Work Project. We will be traveling Nov. 5-12 to build 100 homes in one week for the Santo community outside of Léogâne. I am incredibly excited to be a part of such a meaningful experience that will help inspire a new era of hope for those affected by the 2010 earthquake.

I became involved with this trip because I am highly passionate about Humanitarian Design and bringing new life to underserved communities. While in grad school I traveled to Senegal and Brazil to work on projects that proposed affordable sustainable solutions to communities facing growing environmental hardships. I hope in my involvement with this project I am able raise an awareness of the need for affordable housing not just in Haiti but around the world.

As part of this trip I am required to fundraise $5,000 by Nov. 30th. I have made the commitment to do the manual labor but I need your generous support in funding the project costs and necessary supplies to build the 100 homes. Please check out my official Habitat fundraising page for more information.

Post written by Courtney Brinegar, a Technical Designer at Gensler.

Check presentation from Wells Fargo  in the amount of $125,000 in support of Neighborhood Revitalization efforts in the Houston community. Houston Habitat was selected by HfHI and Wells Fargo as one of the thirteen affiliates across the nation to receive $125,000, the maximum amount awarded as a grant to support rehabilitation and repair projects.  The funds will be designated for the construction aspect such as materials, weatherization, preservation and rehabilitation, etc.

Photo (L-R): Laura Jaramillo, Wells Fargo Vice President Community Development; Paula McKenzie, Houston Habitat Corporate Development Manager; Glenn Godkin, Wells Fargo President and Houston Habitat Board member; Algenita Scott Davis, Houston Habitat Executive Director; Martha Korn, Houston Habitat Project Initiatives Manager

3971 miles. That’s the number of miles I will bike this summer from Providence, Rhode Island to Seattle, Washington. Not surprisingly, the number seems a little daunting to me. I’m not some experienced cyclist or endurance athlete. I’m just a college kid trying to raise money for affordable housing while having the adventure of a lifetime.

Photo courtesy of the Rice Thresher

I will be biking with a group of about 30 other young adults with a charity called Bike and Build. Before the trip, each of us will raise $4,000, and the money is redistributed to affordable housing charities around the country just like Houston Habitat for Humanity. Additionally, as we make our way across 14 different states over the course of the summer, we will stop in nine different towns to work on build sites with local Habitat for Humanity chapters.

Of course, our work is not limited to fundraising, biking, and building. One of the most important things we can do is to raise awareness for the cause. Every time we roll into a new town in our matching Bike and Build jerseys, people will notice. Our goal is to spread the message of the importance of affordable housing everywhere we stop, both through daily presentations on housing issues and through informal conversations with the people we meet along the way.

I start my journey in less than a month, and I’ve certainly put in my “sweat equity.” My legs are tired from the morning’s training ride and my hammering skills have been fine-tuned from weekends spent building with Houston Habitat. Of course I am a little nervous, but for the most part I’m excited to get going! Despite limited computer access along the way, I hope to be able to post an update or two over the course of the summer, so please check back from time to time!

You can find out more information about the trip here, and if you would like to contribute you can do so online.

Post written by Matthew Nanes, a junior political science major at Rice University.

So – how does the family selection process work? And why are families always on site?

Houston Habitat selects Family Partners based on a set of criteria that have been set out by Habitat International and our Board of Directors and staff locally. The criteria center around 3 main points:

• Need: each of our Family Partners demonstrates a true need for decent, affordable housing. “Substandard housing” in Houston takes on many forms, and we are happy to provide an alternative for the families we partner with who are currently living with overcrowded, unsafe or unhealthy surroundings.
• Ability to Pay: No, the houses aren’t free for our Family Partners. We offer zero-interest mortgages and downpayment assistance through the City of Houston. Our Family Partners can expect to pay about $400-$500 per month for insurance, taxes and mortgage on a 3- or 4- bedroom home.
• Willingness to Partner: Last but certainly not least, our families must truly partner with Houston Habitat. In lieu of a down payment, we request each family to invest 300 hours of “Sweat Equity” into the Houston Habitat neighborhoods, ReStore and office. Our Family Partners truly enjoy spending time building on their house and the houses of their soon-to-be-neighbors.

“Sweat Equity” is the required element that leads to so many Family Partners being on site each time you come out to volunteer, swing by the office to say hello, or stop to shop at the ReStore. But our Family Partners enjoy being able to invest in their own future – just ask them!

Note:  Doug Garrison, Chair of the Board of Directors of Houston Habitat for Humanity, completed the January 30, 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon.  He has been blogging about the similarities between his preparation for the marathon and what Houston Habitat family partners do, in aspiring for homeownership. See his first post here and his second here. 

My race on January 30, 2011 lasted five hours, fifteen minutes, and three seconds.  The memories will last a lifetime.

Doug Garrison at Mile 24 of the 2011 Chevron Houston Marathon!

 Like most of the nearly 7,000 runners in the 2011 Houston Marathon, I pinned a bib onto my shirt with my first name spelled out in large letters.  Over the 26.2 mile course, dozens of spectators cheered me on by calling out my name in encouragement. 

There’s something special about being part of a group of people dedicated to accomplishing the unusual—like running a marathon.  The weather was less than ideal—warm and humid,  with sporadic sprinkles of rain—but tens of thousands of spectators turned out to support  the runners,  each of whom has a unique story as to why he or she was there. 

And when my journey to the finish line ended, what remained were a kaleidoscope of impressions and the satisfaction of having accomplished an audacious goal.

For many of the family partners served by Houston Habitat, finally achieving the dream of home ownership is not unlike finishing a marathon.  Acquiring the home takes several months, if not years, but the memories will last a lifetime of perhaps two or three generations.  Each family has its own story, and finally acquiring a home results for most in a flood of impressions and a great sense of satisfaction.

Thanks to all our “Run for a Reason” runners, the fundraisers, and their contributors, Houston Habitat has raised over $8,700 from the Marathon.  On behalf of the organization and the families we serve, let me say “thank you.”  You have made a difference.  We invite you to stay connected.  The journey is not over yet.  Check out our website at www.houstonhabitat.org. 

You can still donate to Doug’s fundraising page: http://www.chevronhoustonmarathon.com/Donate/PersonalPage.cfm?MID=5890&CID=271