Together We Can Build GreenCountry Habitatfor Humanity is emerging as atop affiliateinthe U.S.

Beneficiaries of Green Country Habitat for Humanity (GCHFH) are engrained everywhere in the Tulsa community.They are nurses, public school teachers, and delivery workers: Amuch more diverse population than people may realize.

But whether the new homeownerstreat sicknessor teachhistory,their reactions after closing on ahome with amortgage below marketrate tend to be similar.“Iliketo jokethat we’rethe only home builder where there are tearsof joy guaranteed in every home closing,”Green Country CEO Cameron Walker said.

GCHFH is focused on addressing the dire need to build more affordable homes inTulsa’s underserved areas.There are about 900branches in the United States. Success is measured in houses built, and GCHFH is well on its waytocompleting its 250-house initiative in NorthTulsa.

“We’re on tracktomakea splash,”Walker said. “We’re proud of it because we’rekind of out here in flyover country.When you think of large markets around the country with more resources, we’redoing awhole lot.”

GCHFH is on pace to build more than 80 homes this year.Walker said people who qualify —and manyworking peopleinTulsa do —can get amortgage below marketrate, move their family in and startpaying offtheir future home. It’snot ahandout, but it provides achance at stability for people and families who may otherwisebebouncing from apartment to apartment.

“These are not peoplethat have recently experienced homelessness that are getting offthe streetsand into ahome,” Walker said. “The families we are helpinggenerally have asteady solid source of income.These are gainfully employed people who simply don’t makeenough to walk into abank independently and qualify for aloan.

It’swhy Walker and his team focus on building aperson’s relationship with abank, not just their home.

GCHFH works with anetwork of local bankstoprovide a30-year fixed-rate mortgage. Most of the people moving into the homes are first-time homeowners. His team works to dissolve banking apprehension among them.

“Weinvest in educatingour homeowners about the power of owning real estate and building equity and how it can translate into building generational wealth.”These well-built homes can range from $135,000 to $185,000

Walker said his team is moving beyond traditionalone-house builds and starting to build entire residential developments in neighborhoods.That creates jobs for companieswhen installing infrastructure suchassewersthat go beyond avolunteer’s scope. Green Country is not the sole group responsible for lifting these neighborhoods. But we can be the organization that galvanizes renewal. For-profitbuilders often follow Green Country in areas to orchestrate acomplete turnaround.

“We’re being intentional in working with Blackand minorityowned contractorstodoall of this work,”Walker said. “It really creates apositive ecosystem when dollarsare being invested into NorthTulsa...our hope over time is we’ll see more sustainable businesses crop up with more and more new homeowners moving in, whichwill elevate this vibrant partofour community.