Building Hope: Habitat for Humanity of Wilco Expands with New Communities

by Charlotte Kovalchuk • photos courtesy Debbie Hoffman

While 2023 was a year full of challenges and curve balls for Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County, the nonprofit remains committed to meeting an ongoing need for affordable housing in the area. Two projects, Shepherd’s Village and Leander Street Cottages, will accelerate that mission. “Although we have faced multiple delays and cost increases, we are making progress toward providing an affordable place to live for 14 future Habitat homeowners in Georgetown,” Executive Director Debbie Hoffman says. “We are committed to the vision for what Shepherd’s Village will provide – a safe, decent, and affordable place to call home for 12 families. And we are excited to build the Leander Street Cottages on property that many have thought to be unbuildable.”

HABITAT HISTORY

Habitat for Humanity is a nonprofit housing organization with locations in more than 70 countries and approximately 800 local affiliates that serve communities across the United States and partner with individuals and families in need of a safe, affordable place to live. The Williamson County location’s services include the ReStore, Home Repair Program, and Homeownership Program, which empowers low-income individuals and families to build and buy their own homes with a zero-percent interest mortgage.

In 1999, Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County formed as an all-volunteer organization, Georgetown Habitat for Humanity, later expanding its service area to all of Williamson County after merging with the Habitat for Humanity in Round Rock. Over the last 25 years, Habitat has helped residents build 92 houses in Georgetown, Round Rock, Taylor, Leander, Jarrell, and Cedar Park. Since the inception of the Home Repair Program in 2014, north of 280 repairs have been completed (totaling more than 480 individuals served) throughout the county. The ReStore opened in 2004 and has saved an average of 60 tons of waste per year. In the past year, it had more than 12,000 transactions, providing reliable revenue that allows Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County to continue its mission.

UPCOMING PROJECTS

In 2020, Habitat bought a 1-acre lot between 21st and 22nd streets in southeast Georgetown for a neighborhood that will provide 12 oneand two-story townhomes for families making less than 80 percent of the median income in Georgetown. Known as Shepherd’s Village, the development honors both the nonprofit’s Christian roots and calling to care for its neighbors as Jesus did, as well as the late Dr. James Shepherd and his wife Judy for contributing the largest monetary donation for the housing project.

Dr. Shepherd and doctors Douglas Benold and Hal Gaddy were wellknown physicians during Georgetown’s early days. They established the city’s first EMS service and a nursing school — the first integrated school in Georgetown. After retiring from medicine, Dr. Shepherd continued to give back to the Georgetown community as a donor and advocate for several nonprofits, including Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County. “If [he and Judy] had the opportunity to speak about the need for affordable housing, they were willing to do that and did that for a number of years,” Debbie says.

Leander Street Cottages will provide two homes at the corner of Leander and Hart streets. Both housing projects are going through the city’s development process, and “we are ready to begin building as soon as that process is complete.” In addition, Habitat anticipates adding another housing community that will provide a total of 24 houses “in which families will live and thrive here in Georgetown in the near future.”

Debbie says these projects will meet a growing need for affordable housing. “We’re finding more and more people finding it challenging to secure affordable rental units, whether houses or apartments, and they want to put down roots here. Many of our families come out of unsafe and unhealthy living environments, and having a new home that is well-constructed and maintained, which they can own not only for their lives but future generations, that’s pretty amazing.”

The Homeownership Program application process opens twice a year and the exact dates will be announced later this spring.

Learn more about Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County at: williamsonhabitat.org

HOW TO HELP

Habitat for Humanity of Williamson County welcomes monetary, in-kind construction materials/services and vehicle donations to help the nonprofit in its mission of providing affordable homes for neighbors in need. Donations and volunteers are also welcome at the Georgetown ReStore, a discount home improvement store open to the public 9am to 5pm Tuesday to Saturday at 2108 N Austin Ave.