How Being A Habitat For Humanity Homeowner Helps During COVID-19

We’ll discuss how, plus what you can do to start applying for a home of your own.

Besides health, money has become a huge (if not the biggest) concern for many families during the COVID-19 shutdown.

Jobs have been lost, income has been reduced or has entirely disappeared, and bills have piled up. Combine those issues, and you have many families wondering what they’ll do shortly, despite financial help from the government.

What could reduce such issues? The ability to save money on housing so you can build an emergency fund and save for a rainy day, which is exactly what Habitat for Humanity has helped its homeowners due during this pandemic.

With offices in all 50 states and around the globe, Habitat for Humanity has its fair share of success stories. Here are some small examples picked from Habitat’s local pages on how its homes have helped participants survive these uncertain times.

A Safe Place to Live

Imagine everything shutting down when you are bouncing from place to place because you can’t afford the rent.

By being a homeowner, Habitat participants have been able to quarantine and self-isolate in their homes without having to worry about their family’s safety, having to move in the middle of a pandemic, or an overbearing landlord.

An Affordable Mortgage

Although many states have put temporary freezes on evictions, not being able to pay high rent could cause tons of stress as jobs are lost, and income disappears.

Since Habitat for Humanity homes are so affordable, many homeowners enjoy mortgage payments that they can easily meet every month, even during a crisis.

Monthly Savings

Habitat for Humanity homes are not only built to be cost-effective, but they’re also constructed to be minimalist in nature and energy-efficient.

As such, monthly bills are often lower than comparable homes in the area, which helps its homeowners save so they can start building their emergency funds.

A Feeling of Community

The Habitat for Humanity housing process involves “sweat equity.” It’s where you join community volunteers to help build your home or others in the area.

During this process, you’ll build unbreakable bonds and get introduced to the community, so you have constant support and a feeling of belonging. In trying times like these, such a benefit is priceless.

Overall Stability

Speaking of priceless, you can’t put a price tag on stability, which is one of the main reasons why Habitat for Humanity exists. When life is on shaky ground, it helps to have a strong foundation.

The statistics don’t lie, either, as kids who grow up in Habitat homes attend college at a much higher rate than their counterparts with similar socioeconomic backgrounds.

Habitat homeowners also become financially independent thanks to educational resources and classes they attend as part of the sweat equity requirement.