Building a Legacy, Block by Block by HabitatNRI

Building A Legacy

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Habitat for Humanity International / NRI Annual Update FY2012 / July 1, 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June 30, 2012

BuiLDING A LEGACY

Habitat’s mission Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.

Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative Vision Neighborhoods across the country are revitalized into vibrant, safe and inviting places to live for current and future residents. This will happen through the hard work of engaged citizens, partnerships with civic and business groups, and a renewed community spirit.

Mission Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative affiliates serve more families by responding to community aspirations with an expanded array of products, services and partnerships, empowering residents to revive their neighborhoods and enhance their quality of life.

Goals n To serve more families through an expanded array of housing products. n To demonstrate an improved quality of life in the communities where we serve. n To broaden the base of Habitat’s financial support. n To increase volunteer participation.

Building A Legacy

Block Block Habitat for Humanity International n

NRI Annual Update FY2012 n

July 1, 2011 â&#x20AC;&#x201C; June 30, 2012

The early model was to bring people together to work alongside low-income families to build decent, affordable homes. Sometimes, homes were also rehabilitated, but new, single-family homes were the mainstay of our efforts during those early years. Habitat for Humanity’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative was born out of a desire to have a greater impact on the communities we serve. It has given us the impetus and the ability to broaden our reach and serve more families with a holistic approach to community development. Each NRI affiliate is helping to build a legacy — not just for one family at a time, but for an entire community. Created in alignment with the goals and objectives of Habitat’s new strategic plan, NRI is leveraging shelter as a catalyst for community transformation. It is serving as a leading voice, empowering residents to own the vision for their neighborhood and to stay involved as progress is made. Our NRI team has developed an expanded construction toolbox that includes Critical Home Repair, Home Preservation and Weatherization, along with home rehabilitation. We are also providing training, technical assistance and best practices that help us mobilize resources and engage residents in community planning. Through all of these efforts, neighborhoods are being reborn and becoming comfortable, inviting places to live. This new aspect of our work is the way of the future. In five to 10 years, our Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative will simply be another essential element of Habitat’s work. I’m excited about this new reality, and I hope you are, too. Thank you to each affiliate that is helping us fulfill our mission by building homes, communities and hope through NRI. Blessings,

Jonathan T.M. Reckford CEO, Habitat for Humanity International

EZRA MILLSTEIN

Thirty-six years ago, Habitat for Humanity was a young, unknown organization with a big idea – partnership housing.

Each NRI affiliate is helping to build a legacy — not just for one family at a time, but for an entire community.

4 8 11 14 16 19 22 25

Community Engagement

Partnership

A Community Plan of Action

NRI Affiliates

Construction Products

Measuring Impact

Supporting NRI

A Closer Look at NRI

Habitat for Humanity International / NRI Annual Update FY2012 / July 1, 2011 – June 30, 2012

BLOCK BY BLOCK

COURTESY OF GREATER SAN FRANCISCO HABITAT

A volunteer works at Adam Rogers Community Garden in San Francisco’s Bayview neighborhood.

Building A Legacy

Community Engagement

Jason asteros

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Regina Mitchell is playing a big role in the revitalization of her West Fresno, California, neighborhood. She wants her children, including Joseph (left) and Moses, to have a good place to grow up.

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Building a legacy Block by block

playground. For Regina Mitchell and her six children, swings, monkey bars and a basketball hoop would be life-altering. Will be lifealtering. The Mitchell family lives in West Fresno, California. Today, the neighborhood is home to gangs but no good places to play. Kids romp or skip rope on broken asphalt roads or dirt fields. Despite being centered in one of the countryâ&#x20AC;&#x2122;s most agriculturally rich areas, West Fresno is a food desert with no grocery store. Mitchell wants her children to grow up in a different neighborhood. Slowly but surely, she is helping make West Fresno that place.

Continued on page 6

John and Wendy Slade were among the 250 people who turned out for a parade to unify an NRI neighborhood in St. Paul, Minnesota. John Slade, former community engagement specialist with Twin Cities Habitat, organized the event.

Stories from the block After construction of a light rail line threatened to divide a St. Paul, Minnesota, neighborhood already divided by geography and demographics, Twin Cities Habitat for Humanity and its community partners threw a parade. Why a parade? One reason is it brought together residents and community organizations that had not often interacted. “They’ve come to better understand each other’s missions, programs and frustrations about the neighborhood,” said Andy Barnett, Twin Cities Habitat’s director of community development. And parades draw a crowd. This one drew more than 250 participants and onlookers and created a tangible picture of the neighborhood’s commitment to, well, the neighborhood. “If we can get the residents together to plan a parade,” Barnett said, “maybe we can build the social capital needed to take on more serious issues in the future.”

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So is the Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative, a U.S. program inspired by the idea that the best way to serve God and end poverty housing is by transforming whole communities, house by house, block by block, neighborhood by neighborhood. Now in its third year, NRI looks different from place to place because the dreams and aspirations of residents, the program’s driving force, differ from community to community. In West Fresno, residents are building a new legacy for their community by working with Habitat for Humanity Fresno County and its two dozen partners. Residents of all walks of life, from ex-gang members to seniors to teenagers with disabilities, tend a 28-bed garden constructed by the neighborhood’s young people with Habitat’s help. Community members and Habitat volunteers also built a garden in Mitchell’s backyard where squash, broccoli and tomatoes sprout in the summer, and spinach, red dragon carrots and Swiss chard grow in the winter. Mitchell no longer has to take a taxi five miles round-trip so her kids can have fresh vegetables.

COURTESY OF TWIN CITIES HABITAT

NRI looks different from place to place because the dreams and aspirations of residents, the program’s driving force, differ from community to community.

Building a legacy Block by block

n Community Engagement

NRI in the United States In FY12, NRI affiliates made up only 13 percent of U.S. affiliates but served 44 percent of families nationwide.

Total U.S. families served by non-NRI affiliates

600,000

Number of volunteers

56%

Projected growth in volunteers

44% Total U.S. families served by NRI affiliates

504,101

500,000

466,803 428,902

400,000

392,718 300,000

NRI affiliates expect a 28.4 percent increase in volunteers by fiscal year 2015. 200,000

100,000

FY12

Source: FY12 Annual Statistical Report

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FY13

FY14

FY15

Source: FY12 NRI Progress Report

That one plot gives Mitchell hope for the West Fresno of tomorrow. “Just like we watched our garden grow, that is what our neighborhood will do,” she responded to her sons after 11-year-old Joseph wrote a note lamenting the lack of a place to play. Soon the children will have a place. Habitat Fresno County and its partners have raised more than $110,000 to purchase a lot and equipment for that coveted playground. In fiscal year 2012, other neighborhoods across the country became places of hope, too, because of the 191 Habitat affiliates committed to NRI. Although they represented just 13 percent of U.S. affiliates, those enrolled in NRI served 44 percent of Habitat families nationwide, based on figures from the FY12 Annual Statistical Report. This represented a significant increase from the previous fiscal year, when NRI affiliates served one-third of U.S. families. The blocks on which to build

Building a legacy Block by block

a successful — and lasting — neighborhood revitalization came into sharper focus in FY12. Community engagement is the cornerstone. “Getting residents involved is the only way change happens for good,” Mitchell said. Other essential blocks are partnership, a community-driven plan of action and construction products used as a means, not an end, to revitalization. Measuring the impact of Habitat’s efforts along the way better ensures that revitalization continues to move in the right direction. Habitat volunteers and donors signaled that they approved of where NRI is heading. Despite the struggling economy, affiliates reported raising more than $38 million — about 13.2 percent of their fundraising — because of their involvement in NRI, according to the FY12 NRI Progress Report, a survey of 171 affiliates. NRI affiliates mobilized 392,718 volunteers, who signed on for

In fiscal year 2012, other neighborhoods across the country became places of hope, too, because of the 191 Habitat affiliates committed to NRI. Although they represented just 13 percent of U.S. affiliates, those enrolled in NRI served 44 percent of Habitat families nationwide.

Four-year-old Talia Richards helps Sabrina Kelley, Habitat Fresno County’s neighborhood revitalization coordinator, plant flowers in a West Fresno, California, community garden.

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in this neighborhood of mostly renters. She hopes to be a Habitat homeowner one day. In the meantime, Mitchell is a large part of why change is taking place in West Fresno. She passes out fliers about neighborhood events and hosts monthly resident get-togethers at her home, including the occasional movie night. She also is a testament to how NRI’s broader reach is helping Habitat. “Regina is like a quiet river that runs deep that moves things along,” Kelley said. “She has helped get other residents involved through her leadership.” Mitchell doesn’t think of herself as a leader. She just wants a better neighborhood. It will take time but it will happen, she said. It has to. “I want a better neighborhood not just for my children, but for all the children — for all of us.” n

ANDREW LA FONTAINE

everything from picking up trash to framing new houses, from pruning trees to patching roofs, according to the report. Habitat Fresno County has built a volunteer force of service providers and businesses in West Fresno. Its most loyal volunteers are the residents themselves. The affiliate routinely enlists and trains teenagers to survey residents to size up the scope of work to be tackled. Not only does Habitat Fresno County need the manpower, said neighborhood revitalization coordinator Sabrina Kelley, it also wants young people to understand the significant role they have in defining the vision and future of their neighborhood. A year ago, Mitchell volunteered. She was excited to see new Habitat houses go up in her community, even though she rents her house

Building a legacy Block by block

Building A Legacy

Partnership

COURTESY OF HABITAT OF JACKSONVILLE

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Volunteers from Wells Fargo tackle a paint job in New Town, a neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida. Dozens of partners, including Habitat of Jacksonville, are improving life for the families living there.

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“T

he work of changing lives and overcoming generational poverty is far too complex for any one entity alone.” Those are the words of Irvin PeDro Cohen, director of the New Town Success Zone in Jacksonville, Florida. The New Town Success Zone, inspired by the transformational work of the acclaimed Harlem Children’s Zone, is a collaboration of residents and three dozen public and private organizations dedicated to improving life for the children and families of New Town, an underserved area near downtown Jacksonville. Since 2008, education, health and parenting programs have sprung up in the neighborhood, along with a stateof-the-art playground and a place for older residents to exercise.

Building a legacy Block by block

None of this works without housing, Cohen said. “You can’t have a successful community without decent places to live.” Habitat for Humanity of Jacksonville took on the role of housing partner for the New Town Success Zone. The affiliate, which built 140 homes in the community a decade ago, plans to serve 400 additional families through homeownership and repair programs over the next four years. “We told Habitat, ‘You take care of the housing piece, someone else will take care of the school piece and the park piece and the health piece and the rest of the pieces,’” Cohen said. “In reality, all of the pieces feed into each other. We are really and truly revitalizing a neighborhood based on what we all bring. No one stands alone.”

Continued on page 10

Carol Monroe and her children, Terrel and Denise, live in a new Habitat home in New Town, a neighborhood in Jacksonville, Florida. Monroe plans to grow old there.

Support services In FY12, 98 percent of NRI affiliates provided nonconstruction offerings, many partnering with other agencies and organizations. Projects included classes in money management, foreclosure prevention and home maintenance. 120%

Percent of affiliates offering services

Habitat for Humanity’s Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative is built on partnerships. In fiscal year 2012, 72 percent of the 171 NRI affiliates surveyed worked with community partners or as part of a community coalition. Moreover, because residents are becoming the hub in the wheel of community development, affiliates and their partners are becoming the spokes. “Our focus is on sustainable communities, and housing is only one part of that,” said Mary Kay O’Rourke, president and CEO of Habitat of Jacksonville. “We have made a commitment to work only in neighborhoods or communities that are focusing on other aspects of community development, health, safety and education.” Through partnerships, life in New Town is improving. Standardized test scores at the elementary school have risen dramatically while absentee rates have dropped significantly, according to a new five-year report on the New Town Success Zone. That is partly because kids with asthma are getting treatment, for instance, and those who can’t see the whiteboard are getting fitted for eyeglasses.

COURTESY OF HABITAT OF JACKSONVILLE

While all partners are vital, the most vital are the families who call New Town home.

100% 80%

96%

93%

84% 70%

60%

63%

40% 20% 0% Financial education classes and/or counseling

Foreclosure prevention classes and/or counseling

Home maintenance classes

Post-purchase classes and/or counseling

Pre-purchase classes and/or counseling

Services offered Source: FY12 NRI Progress Report Building a legacy Block by block

n Partnership before — a yard where he can chase crickets and butterflies. He and his 14-year-old sister, Denise, now walk to school. Their mother, who works helping kids with disabilities get on and off the school bus, doesn’t know if her children will stay in New Town when they’re grown. Denise has big plans to become a singing sensation. Monroe, however, is happy staying put. “I can see myself sitting on my front porch, retired.” n

Stories from the block Habitat for Humanity Menominee River is old hand at neighborhood revitalization. In 2004, before NRI, the affiliate based in Kingsford, Michigan, joined a statewide community development initiative. Focusing on a neighborhood in Iron Mountain, a once-thriving mining town, the affiliate helped build a baseball field, a walking trail and a half-mile of new sidewalks as part of the national Safe Routes to School program. Habitat Menominee River also has completed four new homes and 13 rehabs in the town. How did this small, rural affiliate accomplish so much? “We’re all about partnerships,” said Nancy Pellegrini, the executive director. In June 2012, Habitat Menominee River signed on to NRI because “NRI is about partnerships,” Pellegrini said.

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PHOTOS COURTESY OF MENOMINEE RIVER HABITAT

New Town also has become a safer place to raise a family. Between 2008 and 2011, crime statistics in the area showed a drop of 45 percent or more in violent crimes, arrests and truancy. While all partners are vital, the most vital are the families who call New Town home, families like Carol Monroe and her two children, who moved to the neighborhood in April 2012. Their Habitat home, olive green with crisp white trim, offers 10-yearold Terrel something he hasn’t had

For years, Habitat Menominee River in Kingsford, Michigan, has taken a holistic approach to revitalization. Its work in the town of Iron Mountain has included everything from sprucing up home exteriors to building a baseball diamond.

Building A Legacy

PHOTOS COURTESY OF WACO HABITAT

A Community Plan of Action

Students from Baylor University joined residents in painting house numbers on curbs for about 200 homes in the Carver Park neighborhood in Waco, Texas.

“W

here there is no vision, the people perish.” Proverbs 29:18 Shirley Langston has a vision. It is to see Carver Park return to the vibrant, cohesive neighborhood where she grew up. Langston has something else. It is a plan of action that she and residents of the Waco, Texas, neighborhood hammered out to make that vision a reality. “The plan has been huge,” Langston said. “For years, we talked and talked and talked, and nothing happened. With this plan, we are really beginning to see some action.” Community action plans, roadmaps for neighborhood revitalization, can be timeconsuming and difficult to navigate. In fiscal year 2012, only 29 percent of NRI affiliates reported that their target areas had produced a plan approved by their neighborhoods. Continued on page 12

‘For years, we talked and talked and talked, and nothing happened. With this plan, we are really beginning to see some action.’ Shirley Langston

Shirley Langston moved back to the Waco, Texas, neighborhood where she was raised to live with her grandmother, Pearline Woodson.

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COURTESY OF OUR TOWNS HABITAT

n A Community Plan of Action

At the Potts family reunion, relatives work on the first Habitat house rehabilitation in Smithville, a neighborhood in Cornelius, North Carolina.

Community development practices incorporated in or before FY12

Percent of affiliates

80%

72 percent of affiliates have formed partnerships or are working with a coalition. A growing percentage have embraced community development practices.

70% 60%

72%

50%

56%

40% 30%

29%

20%

30%

10%

14%

0% Affiliates have begun working with community partners and/or a coalition.

Stakeholders have written and approved a community development plan.

Plan has begun to be implemented.

Resources (including volunteers) have been mobilized.

Affiliates have created an evaluation plan with coalition input.

Source: FY12 NRI Progress Report

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Waco Habitat for Humanity, which spearheaded the Carver community action plan, saw the process as an opportunity to put residents in the driver’s seat. “We wanted our community action plan to be resident-driven rather than organizationally driven,” said Britt Duke, Waco Habitat’s NRI manager. “The greatest asset any community has is its residents.” The affiliate partnered with the Carver Neighborhood Association, which in turn took the lead in

Building a legacy Block by block

getting people to attend a series of planning meetings. Local churches, government representatives, service providers and other nonprofits were also invited to attend. Participants zeroed in on identifying the community’s top aspirations: economic development, beautification, infrastructure, housing and education. “Having residents identify their own assets and aspirations ensures ‘community buyin,’ ” Duke said.

COURTESY OF OUR TOWNS HABITAT

Stories from the block Our Towns Habitat for Humanity, based in Davidson, North Carolina, and serving four towns, describes itself as a small affiliate with aspirations of a big affiliate. So it understands the big dreams of Smithville, a neighborhood of 93 mostly African-American families dating to the late 1800s. Our Towns helped residents form a coalition to spearhead revitalization of their historic neighborhood. The coalition spent six months coming up with a community action plan identifying those big dreams: building a community center, attracting new business and rehabbing dilapidated homes. The planning process also got residents to think about and then institute ways to bring their community together: a Christmas lights contest, an annual fall fair, a neighborhood watch. “Without Habitat, none of this would have happened,” said Lisa Mayhew, who grew up in the neighborhood and now heads the community coalition. “We needed a hand up. It is up to Smithville to take it from here.”

grandmother, now 97. “The neighborhood is quite different today,” she said. Langston is holding onto her vision of a revitalized Carver Park. As a member of the infrastructure committee, she is literally shedding light on how to get there. The neighborhood already has nudged the electric company into replacing burnedout streetlights. Next are the curbs, sidewalks and street signs to see to. It’s all there in the community action plan. n

Children play at the “Serving Up Hope” festival in Smithville, a community in Cornelius, North Carolina, and the focus of Our Towns Habitat’s revitalization efforts.

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No one had to persuade Langston to buy in. Her grandparents raised her in Carver Park. “Back then, families were intact,” said Langston, founder of Restoration Haven, a ministry that serves at-risk Waco communities. “People had a sense of pride in the community. I remember my grandparents moved to the neighborhood because of the good schools.” As an adult, Langston spent 35 years in Dallas before returning to Carver in 2004 to help care for her

Building a legacy Block by block

NRI affiliates In 2012, 191 affiliates were enrolled in NRI. HFH of Southwest Alabama............................................. Mobile, AL HFH Tuscaloosa............................................................Tuscaloosa, AL HFH of Pulaski County................................................. Little Rock, AR HFH Tucson..........................................................................Tucson, AZ HFH Fresno County............................................................Fresno, CA HFH East Bay................................................................... Oakland, CA HFH Golden Empire...................................................Bakersfield, CA HFH Inland Valley..........................................................Temecula, CA HFH Lake County....................................................... Lower Lake, CA HFH of Greater Los Angeles..........................................Gardena, CA HFH of Orange County................................................Santa Ana, CA HFH Riverside................................................................ Riverside, CA Sacramento HFH...................................................... Sacramento, CA HFH San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys.........Woodland Hills, CA HFH Greater San Francisco................................. San Francisco, CA HFH for San Luis Obispo County....................San Luis Obispo, CA Solano Napa HFH.......................................................Suisun City, CA HFH Stanislaus County.................................................Modesto, CA HFH of Tulare County........................................................ Visalia, CA HFH of Ventura County....................................................Oxnard, CA HFH of Butte County............................................................Chico, CA HFH Yolo County......................................................... Woodland, CA Blue Spruce HFH......................................................... Evergreen, CO HFH of Metro Denver........................................................ Denver, CO Middlesex HFH of Connecticut...................................Cromwell, CT HFH of Washington, D.C........................................ Washington, D.C. Central Delaware HFH.........................................................Dover, DE HFH of New Castle County......................................Wilmington, DE Sussex County HFH.................................................Georgetown, DE Alachua HFH................................................................ Gainesville, FL Beaches HFH...........................................................Atlantic Beach, FL Charlotte County HFH...............................................Punta Gorda, FL Flagler HFH......................................................................... Bunnett, FL HFH of Osceola County.............................................. Kissimmee, FL HFH of Greater Orlando Area..........................................Orlando, FL HFH of Hillsborough County.............................................Tampa, FL Indian River County HFH........................................... Vero Beach, FL HFH of Jacksonville....................................................Jacksonville, FL HFH Lake-Sumter FL............................................................ Eustis, FL Lakeland HFH...................................................................Lakeland, FL HFH of Marion County.........................................................Ocala, FL HFH of Martin County.......................................................... Stuart, FL HFH of Greater Miami.........................................................Miami, FL HFH of South Palm Beach County.........................Delray Beach, FL Barrow County HFH........................................................ Auburn, GA HFH DeKalb......................................................................... Tucker, GA HFH Fannin Gilmer Co..............................................Cherry Log, GA HFH Bulloch County...................................................Statesboro, GA Macon Area HFH............................................................... Macon, GA Newnan-Coweta HFH.................................................... Newnan, GA Southern Crescent HFH ........................................... Jonesboro, GA Valdosta-Lowndes County HFH................................... Valdosta, GA HFH West Hawaii........................................................ Kailua Kona, HI HFH of Council Bluffs..............................................Council Bluffs, IA Greater Des Moines HFH.......................................... Des Moines, IA Iowa Valley HFH............................................................... Iowa City, IA Idaho Falls HFH ........................................................... Idaho Falls, ID HFH of North Idaho............................................................Hayden, ID HFH Chicago South Suburbs............................Chicago Heights, IL HFH of McHenry County................................................. McHenry, IL HFH Lake County........................................................... Waukegan, IL HFH of McLean County............................................Bloomington, IL HFH of Sangamon County.......................................... Springfield, IL

Building a legacy Block by block

HFH of Evansville.......................................................... Evansville, IN Fort Wayne HFH........................................................... Fort Wayne, IN Greater Muncie HFH..........................................................Muncie, IN LaGrange County HFH..................................................LaGrange, IN Heartland HFH............................................................Kansas City, KS HFH of Metro Louisville................................................ Louisville, KY HFH of Simpson County.................................................Franklin, KY Lafayette HFH.................................................................. Lafayette, LA HFH of Ouachita............................................................... Monroe, LA HFH St. Tammany West..............................................Mandeville, LA HFH Greater Boston......................................................... Boston, MA Central Berkshire HFH...................................................Pittsfield, MA HFH of Greater Lowell..................................................Westford, MA HFH MetroWest/Greater Worcester..........................Worcester, MA HFH North Central Massachusetts............................Fitchburg, MA Caroline County HFH.......................................................Denton, MD HFH of Frederick County..............................................Frederick, MD HFH of Wicomico County............................................ Salisbury, MD Patuxent HFH.............................................................. Solomons, MD HFH Susquehanna............................................................ Bel Air, MD HFH 7 Rivers Maine.............................................................. Bath, ME Bay County HFH............................................................... Bay City, MI Blue Water HFH............................................................ Port Huron, MI HFH Detroit...........................................................................Detroit, MI Genesee County HFH.............................................................Flint, MI HFH Huron Valley......................................................... Ann Arbor, MI HFH of Kent County............................................... Grand Rapids, MI Lakeshore HFH..................................................................Holland, MI HFH Lansing .....................................................................Lansing, MI Macomb County HFH........................................Mount Clemens, MI HFH Menominee River................................................. Kingsford, MI Northeast Michigan HFH...................................................Alpena, MI Saginaw HFH................................................................... Saginaw, MI

HFH Capital District........................................................... Albany, NY Flower City HFH............................................................ Rochester, NY HFH of Greater Newburgh.........................................Newburgh, NY New York City................................................................. New York, NY HFH MidOhio...............................................................Columbus, OH Delaware County HFH .................................................Delaware, OH HFH of Marion County.....................................................Marion, OH Maumee Valley HFH..................................................... Maumee, OH HFH of Portage County..................................................Ravenna, OH HFH of Summit County......................................................Akron, OH TriState HFH..................................................................Cincinnati, OH Bend Area HFH..................................................................... Bend, OR Florence HFH.................................................................. Florence, OR HFH of Berks County.......................................................Reading, PA HFH of the Greater Harrisburg Area..........................Harrisburg, PA Lancaster Area HFH.......................................................Lancaster, PA HFH Philadelphia.......................................................Philadelphia, PA HFH of Greater Pittsburgh.......................................... Pittsburgh, PA Central South Carolina HFH........................................Columbia, SC HFH of Greenville County...........................................Greenville, SC Greenwood Area HFH..............................................Greenwood, SC Sea Island HFH.........................................................Johns Island, SC HFH of York County........................................................Rock Hill, SC Black Hills Area HFH.....................................................Rapid City, SD Brookings Area HFH....................................................Brookings, SD Greater Sioux Falls HFH.............................................Sioux Falls, SD HFH of Anderson County . ......................................... Oak Ridge, TN HFH of Cleveland..........................................................Cleveland, TN HFH of Greater Memphis..............................................Memphis, TN HFH of Greater Nashville.............................................. Nashville, TN Putnam County HFH.................................................... Cookeville, TN Rutherford County HFH.........................................Murfreesboro, TN

Twin Cities HFH...................................................... Minneapolis, MN Kansas City HFH....................................................... Kansas City, MO Springfield, Missouri HFH.......................................Springfield, MO St. Joseph HFH...........................................................St. Joseph, MO Truman Heritage HFH......................................... Independence, MO HFH Bay-Waveland Area.......................................Bay St. Louis, MS HFH Metro Jackson.........................................................Jackson, MS HFH of Gallatin Valley................................................... Belgrade, MT HFH of Southwest Montana...............................................Butte, MT Asheville Area HFH....................................................... Asheville, NC HFH Cabarrus County.....................................................Concord, NC Caldwell County HFH.........................................................Lenoir, NC Cape Fear HFH...........................................................Wilmington, NC HFH Charlotte..................................................................Charlotte, NC HFH of Durham................................................................Durham, NC HFH of Forsyth County...................................... Winston-Salem, NC HFH of Greensboro.................................................. Greensboro, NC HFH of Iredell County ................................................ Statesville, NC HFH of Lincoln County...............................................Lincolnton, NC HFH of Matthews.........................................................Matthews, NC HFH Orange County...................................................Chapel Hill, NC Our Towns HFH..............................................................Davidson, NC HFH of the NC Sandhills............................................. Aberdeen, NC HFH of Wake County........................................................ Raleigh, NC Grand Island Area HFH...........................................Grand Island, NE HFH of Omaha...................................................................Omaha, NE Coastal HFH................................................................Spring Lake, NJ Morris HFH...................................................................... Mine Hill, NJ Northern Ocean HFH................................................. Toms River, NJ Paterson HFH.................................................................. Paterson, NJ

Austin HFH........................................................................... Austin, TX Dallas Area HFH....................................................................Dallas, TX Houston HFH.....................................................................Houston, TX HFH of Jefferson County............................................. Beaumont, TX HFH of South Collin County, Texas.....................................Plano, TX Trinity HFH..................................................................... Fort Worth, TX Waco HFH...............................................................................Waco, TX Salt Lake Valley HFH.............................................. Salt Lake City, UT HFH of Southwest Utah.............................................St. George, UT HFH Utah County.................................................................Orem, UT HFH of Greater Charlottesville............................ Charlottesville, VA HFH of Prince William County, Manassas & Manassas Park...........................................................Manassas, VA HFH Peninsula and Greater Williamsburg.......Newport News, VA HFH in the Roanoke Valley.............................................Roanoke, VA Upper Valley HFH...................................... White River Junction, VT Tri-County Partners HFH...............................................Richland, WA HFH of Clallam County...........................................Port Angeles, WA Cowlitz County HFH.....................................................Longview, WA HFH of East Jefferson County........................... Port Townsend, WA HFH of East King County............................................Redmond, WA Evergreen HFH........................................................... Vancouver, WA HFH of Seattle/South King County................................ Renton, WA HFH Spokane................................................................. Spokane, WA Tacoma/Pierce County HFH........................................... Tacoma, WA HFH in Whatcom County.........................................Bellingham, WA Yakima Valley Partners HFH............................................ Yakima, WA Greater Fox Cities Area HFH......................................... Menasha, WI HFH of Oshkosh............................................................... Oshkosh, WI St. Croix Valley HFH..................................................... River Falls, WI HFH of Washington County........................................West Bend, WI Almost Heaven HFH....................................................... Franklin, WV Huntington WV Area HFH........................................Huntington, WV HFH of Kanawha & Putnam County.......................Charleston, WV

Building a legacy Block by block

Building A Legacy

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Construction Products

PHOTOS BY JASON ASTEROS

Verna Cowell has lived in her Flint, Michigan, house since she was a year old. Genesee County Habitat recently added a deck and painted the home’s exterior. “I picked the color,” Cowell said. “I love red.”

‘Habitat has been one of the leading organizations in showing how we can create stable neighborhoods.’ Mayor Dayne Walling of Flint, Michigan

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he Rev. Reginald Flynn has set his sights on transforming the Flint, Michigan, neighborhood he serves into the kingdom of heaven on Earth. “I am excited about the mission that the Lord has upon this church at this time,” said Flynn, pastor of Foss Avenue Baptist Church and CEO of the North Flint Reinvestment Corporation. “We are putting into action a holistic approach that rebuilds and transforms lives spiritually, economically, politically and physically.” Flynn, who grew up in Flint, knows this lofty vision is achievable. That’s because he has been witnessing the revitalization of the Grand Traverse neighborhood five miles away. Working with the city of Flint, Genesee County Land Bank and other partners, the Grand Traverse neighborhood is following its own plan crafted to improve safety, create places to play, and strengthen resident and business involvement. The residents of one of Flint’s oldest and most historical neighborhoods also want better housing and more opportunities for homeownership. For that reason, they invited Genesee County Habitat for Humanity to partner with them.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF VERNA COWELL

Critical Home Repair, Home Preservation, Weatherization

Today, working block by block, Genesee County Habitat and its volunteers have tackled 24 new, rehabbed or freshly painted and landscaped homes. The affiliate also has helped build a playground in Memorial Park. It turned what used to be a dumping ground next to Flint’s only natural spring into a nature area. To help drive economic development that the community is clamoring for, Genesee County Habitat is building its first work/live two-story structures for entrepreneurial partner families that will live on the top floor and work on the bottom. Across the country, NRI affiliates are well positioned to use an expanded toolbox of construction products as a means of spurring revitalization in their own communities. In fiscal year 2012, 70 percent of NRI affiliates were doing rehabs, and 19 percent planned to introduce them, according to the FY12 NRI Progress report.

Continued on page 18

Percent of affiliates offering service

80%

In FY12, 82.5 percent of affiliates offered at least one of these repair products.

70%

75%

60% 50%

56%

40%

39%

30% 20% 10% 0% Home Preservation (including ABWK)

Critical Home Repair

Weatherization

Source: FY12 NRI Progress Report

A bigger toolbox NRI affiliates served a total of 3,849 families in FY12 through a bigger toolbox of construction products. This expansion allowed affiliates to better tailor their efforts to the aspirations of the communities they work in.

New construction

37%

Repair

48% Rehab

12%

Recycle (3%) Source: FY12 Annual Statistical Report

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Cowell and her family moved to Flint’s Grand Traverse community in 1939. “It is wonderful to see my neighborhood come alive again,” Cowell said.

Building a legacy Block by block

n Construction Products Other communities have reached out to Habitat, including the one in which Flynn and his neighbors have pegged their hopes and dreams. “The payoff of revitalization is really improving the quality of life for our children and for their families,” he said. NRI also has given Genesee County Habitat greater purpose. “I cannot emphasize how important this work is to our community,” said Margaret Kato, the affiliate’s executive director. “We know NRI is successful because we now have other neighborhoods coming to us and saying, ‘How can we get Habitat to come into our neighborhood?’ That hasn’t happened before,” Kato said. “We have become experts in the field of neighborhood revitalization. That is a wonderful way to give back to our community.” n

Stories from the block Months after high winds and large hail left a hole in her roof, Virginia Richardson, known as Mama Ginnie to most folks, had to fetch a bucket or big cabbage pot to catch the rain that trespassed into the kitchen. During downpours, the 85-year-old from Murfreesboro, Tennessee, had to dump out the water several times during the night, which worried her children to no end. Rutherford County Habitat for Humanity learned of Richardson’s plight while finishing construction on a new home next door. “We knew we were going to participate in NRI, but we didn’t have all of our ducks in a row,” said Beth Smith, Rutherford County Habitat’s executive director. “When we met Mama Ginnie and heard her story, we knew that repairing her roof was something we just had to do. So we jumped right in.” Like other affiliates, Rutherford County Habitat has used repairs and other construction products as a way to reach

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Building a legacy Block by block

Across the country, NRI affiliates are well positioned to use an expanded toolbox of construction products as a means of spurring revitalization in their own communities.

PHOTOS COURTESY OF RUTHERFORD COUNTY habitat

Additionally, 56 percent of affiliates were doing Critical Home Repair; 75 percent, Home Preservation, including the A Brush with Kindness program; and 39 percent were doing Weatherization. Even as Genesee County Habitat is using housing as the catalyst for the revitalization in Grand Traverse, the affiliate is receiving invitations to take its work to other communities. Flint, a city built on the automobile industry for twice the population it has today, faces massive blight, unemployment and crime. “Habitat has been one of the leading organizations in showing how we can create stable neighborhoods,” Flint Mayor Dayne Walling said. “In the future, I see stable neighborhoods all across the city and the region.”

Rutherford County Habitat staffers Terry Dove and Ron Saylor work with volunteers Gerry Bates and Steve Moore to replace the roof on the home of 85-year-old Virginia Richardson (left).

out to residents and mobilize volunteers for the bigger task of revitalizing entire neighborhoods. For its official NRI launch, the affiliate hosted a one-day event in which residents and volunteers trimmed trees, mulched gardens, repaired fences and painted home exteriors. By then, Mama Ginnie’s house was bone dry. “I don’t worry about water now because they did such a good job for me,” she said. “I wouldn’t take nothing in the world for that roof.”

Building A Legacy

Measuring Impact

COURTESY OF DALLAS AREA HABITAT

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Local officials and donors take sledgehammers to an abandoned house as part of Dallas Area Habitat’s “Fight the Blight” campaign.

Continued on page 20

A favorable opinion of measuring outcomes In FY12, 96 percent of NRI affiliates reported that outcome evaluation is important.

42%

Strongly Agree

54%

Agree

Disagree (4%) Source: FY12 NRI Progress Report

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tour of the Oak Cliff Gardens neighborhood convinced Tim Dove that his company had a big role to play in turning around the neighborhood in South Dallas, Texas. Although Oak Cliff Gardens suffers from crumbling infrastructure, struggling schools, blight and crime, it also is a place of big trees, rolling hills and engaged churches. And hopeful families. Beginning in fiscal year 2012, Pioneer Natural Resources, the Texas-based gas company where Dove is president and COO, pledged volunteers and $1.5 million for the next three years to Dallas Area Habitat for Humanity to revitalize a block in Oak Cliff Gardens. Through the partnership, properties on Exeter Street have been bought — and demolished. Five A Brush with Kindness projects have been completed, and construction of two new homes has been planned. “Our goal is to inspire hope for the entire neighborhood,” Dove said. “And this is just the beginning.” Although change already is visible, Dallas Habitat is using Success Measures, a program of NeighborWorks America, to reaffirm that these and future revitalization efforts will, in fact, make a long-term impact in Oak Cliff Gardens. Dove applauds the practice.

Building a legacy Block by block

n Measuring Impact

Success Measures 63 percent of NRI affiliates use Success Measures, an outcome evaluation resource of NeighborWorks America.

37% Other

63%

Success Measures

and other interested parties from a data-oriented position, Success Measures gives NRI affiliates a better understanding of the neighborhoods they work in and allows them to measure quality-of-life changes over time. Of the 57 affiliates that gathered data in FY12, 36 are using Success Measures, according to the FY12 NRI Progress Report. Dallas Habitat renewed its revitalization efforts in Oak Cliff Gardens in 2011. In spring 2012, the affiliate surveyed Habitat homeowners living in the neighborhood. Two-thirds said they wanted to stay in their neighborhood, citing its peaceful surroundings, location, affordability and friendly neighbors. The residents who called Oak Cliff Gardens neighborly also reported feeling safe there. These findings led Dallas Habitat

COURTESY OF DALLAS AREA HABITAT

Source: FY12 NRI Progress Report

“We all have preconceived ideas of the benefits that will come from revitalization projects like that in Oak Cliff Gardens,” he said. “By surveying the neighborhood and looking at multi-year statistics related to education and crime, we can hopefully draw valid conclusions about the impact of our efforts. Our goal is, of course, to see a significant decrease in crimes and improved school attendance and performance rates. We particularly want to see growing, vibrant families that feel a real sense of community.” In fiscal year 2012, Habitat continued its commitment to Success Measures to evaluate the impact of the work being done by NRI affiliates. Habitat for Humanity International subsidizes access to a set of evaluation instruments available through NeighborWorks America. In addition to informing donors

Children from Oak Cliff Gardens play at a fair designed to build support for the revitalization of the Dallas, Texas, community.

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Building a legacy Block by block

Penny Smith of West Yellowstone, Montana, watches as Habitat of Gallatin County staff Lou Moro and J. David Magistrelli install new double-pane windows in her home. For years, Smith used everything from foam to shrink-wrap tape to keep out the cold that the old windows let in.

Stories from the block The population of West Yellowstone, Montana, swells to 30,000 in the summer months as vacationers visit its impressive next-door neighbor — Yellowstone National Park. The 800 residents who live in West Yellowstone year-round are clamoring for decent, affordable places to live. They made that clear in Success Measures surveys conducted by members of the community. With the help of Habitat for Humanity of Gallatin County, a group of several dozen townspeople formed the West Yellowstone Revitalization Committee. Now that members have done the surveys, which were funded in part through bake sales, they are taking the lead in working with their local government, elected officials and Habitat to improve housing for homeowners and renters. “Realistically, we can’t be there every day,” said J. David Magistrelli, executive director of the affiliate, which has only four employees and is based 90 miles from West Yellowstone. “The residents have to be the backbone in making this revitalization happen. And they are.”

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In addition to informing donors and other interested parties from a dataoriented position, Success Measures gives NRI affiliates a better understanding of the neighborhoods they work in and allows them to measure quality-oflife changes over time.

COURTESY OF MIKE MOORE/WEST YELLOWSTONE NEWS

to work to foster a stronger sense of community among residents. In addition to building 12 new homes and repairing 17, the affiliate helped start a neighborhood association and crime watch. It partnered with corporate donors, local churches and businesses, and city officials to host neighborhood fairs and National Night Out events to promote drug abuse prevention and to deter crime. Fewer than half of the residents surveyed reported that children’s grades improved since moving to the neighborhood. That is one of the reasons Dallas Habitat partnered with the Brint Ryan family and the University of North Texas at Dallas to build a community enrichment center. Students from the university will offer after-school homework tutoring and teen mentoring to neighborhood kids. “On the front end, Success Measures is helping us see where the neighborhood is,” said Jane Massey, Dallas Habitat’s director of neighborhood research and revitalization. “On the back end, it will tell us how effective we are.” n

Building a legacy Block by block

Building A Legacy

Supporting NRI

COURTESY OF NORTHERN OCEAN HABITAT

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Northern Ocean Habitat staffers Julie-West Bethune and Suzan Fichtner pick up trash in Manitou Park, the New Jersey affiliate’s NRI focus neighborhood.

Affiliates reported raising $38 million because of their involvement in NRI. Includes funding from ReStore net, corporate and business donations, events, faith institution donations, interest earned, individual donations, government grants and programs, Gifts in Kind, foundations and other grants.

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orthern Ocean Habitat for Humanity, on the Jersey Shore halfway between New York City and Philadelphia, used to build only a house a year, give or take, because of prohibitive land prices in its service area. Then the affiliate enrolled in NRI and increased the number of families it serves annually from one to more than 30. “The community is calling us to do this work, and we are here to respond,” said Suzan Fichtner, executive director of Northern Ocean Habitat, based in Toms River, New Jersey. The community also responded with financial support. Berkeley Township awarded Northern Ocean Habitat $100,000 — an amount Fichtner described as “huge” for the affiliate — to help with the revitalization of Manitou Park. The affiliate also received a $5,000 Community Development Block Grant

Building a legacy Block by block

from the Toms River Township and $75,000 to assist veterans through Repair Corps, a joint initiative of Habitat and The Home Depot Foundation. A local entrepreneur committed to donating $15,000 annually. “He said he didn’t give before because he didn’t like the idea of helping only one family,” Fichtner said. Like Northern Ocean Habitat, other affiliates are finding that donors are drawn to NRI’s mission of serving more families and responding to community aspirations. In fiscal year 2012, affiliates reported raising $38 million because of their shift to NRI. The figure represented 13.2 percent of the total revenue raised through a variety of sources, including government grants, corporate and individual donations, foundations and Gifts in Kind. Continued on page 24

NRI affiliate funding sources

Faith institutions (2%) Events (3%)

Interest earned (less than 1%)

Gifts in Kind Foundations, organizations and other grants (including those from HFHI, state support organizations, Cars for Homes and Softwood Lumber.)

Government grants and programs (local, state and federal)

Sources of funding from highest to lowest

Government grants and programs

Mortgage and repair payments

n n

ReStore net

n n

Individual donations

n n n n

7% 27%

10%

Corporate and business donations Foundations, organizations and other grants Gifts in Kind

10% 18%

Individual donations (including group donations such as Collegiate Challenge)

10%

Events

13%

Faith institutions Interest earned

Corporate and business donations

Mortgage and repair payments (including late fees) Source: FY12 NRI Progress Report

Total funding projections NRI affiliates project a 14.3 percent increase in revenues over the next three years. Includes funding from ReStore net, corporate and business donations, events, faith institution donations, interest earned, individual donations, mortgage and repair payments, government grants and programs, Gifts in Kind, foundations and other grants. Some adjustments have been made to maintain accurate yearover-year comparisons. Source: FY12 NRI Progress Report

ReStore net

$350 million

$338,341,024

$340 million $330 million $320 million

$315,549,867

$314,771,272 $310 million $300 million $290 million

$296,059,418

$280 million $270 million FY12

FY13

FY14

FY15

Building a legacy Block by block

n Supporting NRI While affiliates used NRI to expand their financial base, they also had access to a number of resources through their partnership with Habitat for Humanity International. These resources took the form of Gifts in Kind (legacy partners), grant funding (corporate and government), and staff support (National Service and Capacity Building). Neighborhood Revitalization Initiative projects also were supported through Habitat’s national Gifts in Kind partnerships with The Dow Chemical Company, Hunter Douglas, Schneider Electric, Whirlpool brand and Yale. Valspar, a national partner since 2002 and Habitat’s national paint partner, underwrote the A Brush with Kindness program. The company

granted $1 million to support ABWK in fiscal years 2012, 2013 and 2014. The important work of NRI also was made possible through these grants: Citi Foundation, $500,000; Dow, $180,000; Energizer, $145,000; Fannie Mae, $200,000; Owens Corning, $120,000; and PG&E, $300,000. Capacity Building grants helped affiliates increase their organizational capacity to build more houses, raise more funds and partner with more families. Sixty-one affiliates received Capacity Building grants to support funding and training. Twenty-eight positions funded with the grants have been designated for NRI or community outreach/development. Affiliates also relied on federally funded National Service programs

to make NRI work. Sixty-two NRI affiliates served their communities with the help of 239 AmeriCorps members. The members served or partnered with 625 families and engaged 179,867 volunteers. While Northern Ocean Habitat ventured into NRI on a smaller scale, Habitat for Humanity Detroit in Michigan embarked on a three-year, $25 million campaign to revitalize a neighborhood on Detroit’s east side. The campaign, Leaders to ReBuild Detroit, is a coalition that includes businesses, community organizations, churches, local governments and public schools. It raised $2.4 million in FY12, buoyed by a $1 million donation from General Motors Chairman and CEO Dan Akerson. n

Courtesy of Duke University

Colin Joyner, Arati Vora and Michelle Wei, students at Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business, spruce up the railing of a home in Habitat of Durham’s focus neighborhood in Durham, North Carolina.

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Stories from the block Fundraising is not only about asking for money. It is about building — and maintaining — relationships, said Roxanne Hall Little, major gifts officer for Habitat for Humanity of Durham. NRI has helped the Durham, North Carolina, affiliate do both. In the past, Duke University’s Fuqua School of Business co-sponsored a new Habitat home with its students. The model wasn’t engaging the students. So Habitat of Durham and the university asked students to volunteer in East Durham, its NRI neighborhood. Hundreds of students turned out to build ramps, power-wash and paint homes, and repair roofs. Best of all, they also got to interact with the residents of East Durham. The school donated the same amount of money as it had in years past, and Habitat of Durham retained its long-term partner. “We know that people want to feel like they are building more than a house,” Hall said. “They want to build a neighborhood, a community.”

Building a legacy Block by block