Fauquier Habitat Building For the Future

Fauquier Habitat Building For the Future

By Darryl Neher Chief Executive Officer, Fauquier Habitat for Humanity

(Second of two parts)

Volunteers and future homeowners help put the finishing touches on a fancier Habitat for Humanity property.

We’re excited about our 2021 plans to execute a construction program that represents longterm stability, a predictable yet growing building schedule for housing, and a replicable model to pursue throughout our service area.

We’ll do it by investing in people and investing in neighborhoods, including the revitalization on Haiti Street in Warrenton.

Fauquier Habitat for Humanity, through a generous grant from the PATH Foundation, purchased ten properties representing 19 units of Haiti Street housing. With support from HDAdvisors, we have worked closely with the Town of Warrenton, Virginia Housing, and Haiti Street residents on identifying options for a revitalization and development for this important, historic neighborhood.

In January, we began holding meetings to promote possible plans and solicit feedback. We’ll also continue our work with our Haiti Street neighbors to develop the skills to advocate for the needs of everyone living there

We launched Project Engage a year ago, with residents participating in educational programming on how to best advocate for themselves within the community, local government and social service agencies.

We’re also looking for new opportunities in Rappahannock and Fauquier counties. One of our largest challenges is to identify and secure property for future development. It’s no secret the cost of developable land in the counties is expensive. With our vision for significant growth over the next five years, it’s essential to remain nimble and have the flexibility to move quickly when opportunities arise. Our recipe is straightforward. We want to acquire parcels of property to build or revitalize a truly livable neighborhood. We want to engage, educate, and encourage our partner families. Our goal is to organize and recruit community support from town and county officials, other social service providers, local law enforcement, and faith leaders to help improve our neighbors’ lives.

This year, we’re also hoping to serve more families. Fauquier Habitat has built 55 homes since 1991, but in order to upscale our impact, we’re building the collaborations, infrastructure, and capacity to ensure that we can do more to meet the growing need for affordable housing.

Volunteers have always been the lifeblood of the Habitat construction model and will continue to be a foundational element of community engagement and transformation.

Community members working side-by-side with future homeowners in the construction of a new home helps build relationships that can last a lifetime and transform neighborhoods.

To strategically increase our building capacity, we’ll supplement our traditional model by developing relationships with subcontractors and builders to construct additional housing every year. This includes looking at multifamily affordable rental options for those seeking a non-ownership option.

Our hopes for Fauquier Habitat are simple—we believe everyone deserves a safe, affordable, and decent place to live. We often take for granted every time we walk into our own homes, but providing more housing opportunities can only be realized by an entire community partnering on solutions.

To become involved with Fauquier Habitat, email them at info@FauquierHabitat.org.