"Working alongside Habitat homeowners, we are building a meaningful, lasting relationship that is valuable to our community. It’s more than just putting a roof over someone’s head; it is creating a home to provide families with brighter future."
Kelly Balthazor; Director, US Airways Community Relations

Our Story

Since 1985, Habitat Philadelphia has empowered 155 families to achieve their dreams of homeownership and break the cycle of poverty. Our homes are sold with zero-interest mortgages to local low-income families who contribute 350 hours of “sweat equity” toward Habitat projects. Mortgage principal payments are recycled back to build or renovate additional homes through our Fund for Humanity.

Habitat Philadelphia focuses its efforts on building multiple homes in a community rather than scattered houses in different areas. In this way we can transform entire neighborhoods, one block at a time. 

  

Our History

Habitat Philadelphia formed in March 2003 through the integration of four city affiliates in Germantown, North, West, and South Philadelphia.  These four separate affiliates operated independently from 1985 until 2003.  As a city-wide affiliate, we make better use of our resources and are able to help more families in need of adequate shelter. Since 2003, we have been building as one unified organization.

We operate throughout the city of Philadelphia, and to-date have built/rehabbed:

  • 24 homes in Germantown
  • 75 homes in North Philadelphia
  • 13 homes in South Philadelphia
  • 43 homes in West Philadelphia

As a result, over 540 Philadelphians who would otherwise be homeless or living in poverty housing are now proud, self-sufficient homeowners.

We do not build outside of the city of Philadelphia, but there are six other Habitat affiliates in Pennsylvania and New Jersey that serve local areas outside of the City. To find your local Habitat for Humanity affiliate, click here.

  

The Need in Philadelphia

In Philadelphia, one in four families is forced to decide between paying for rent or food, medical bills or transportation to work.  This high cost burden forces families to make tough decisions daily that have a lasting negative impact on their lives, their children, and their communities.

According to the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development if you spend over 30% of your annual income on housing, you may have trouble paying for necessities such as food, electricity, and healthcare.

The Fair Market Rent for a one-bedroom apartment in Philadelphia is $915.  Affordable rent (30% of ones income) for someone working a full-time job making minimum wage is $377, so an individual being paid minimum wage would need to work 97 hours/week (2.2 full-time minimum wage jobs) to afford a one-bedroom apartment in Philadelphia.
 
The lack of decent, affordable housing forces families to pay excessive amounts of money to rent inadequate, overcrowded housing.
 

Our Impact

Habitat Philadelphia focuses on home ownership as its solution to affordable housing. By offering no-interest mortgages and accepting sweat equity as a down payment we are able to offer affordable homeownership opportunities to families who would otherwise not qualify for a mortgage.

For a family previously spending around 30% of their income on housing, an affordable mortgage is a crucial change that allows them to spend money on other important things such as healthcare, education, electricity, food and other basic human needs.

  

Current Projects

In 2010 we completed six homes in partnership with families in need, and are blessed to be working with 11 more partner families in 2011.

In 2011 we dedicated Habitat house #155 on Stiles Street in West Philadelphia now "home" to the Torrance and Kent families - and a milestone for Habitat Philadelphia! By the end of this year, we will have finish four homes in Point Breeze, South Philadelphia, and will soon begin working on two rehabs in Point Breeze. 

We're also thrilled to announce we have opened our ReStore on 2930 Jasper Street, a retail outlet where donated furniture and applainces are sold to the public at a fraction of the cost - and the 100% of the revenue is used to build more Habitat homes. Check out our ReStore page today!

  

The Underwood Family