What is San Diego Habitat for Humanity?
SDHFH is the local affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical housing ministry that offers families in need a hand up, not a handout. By building homes in partnership with families in need, SDHFH seeks to eliminate poverty housing and substandard living conditions in San Diego County, and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action. We invite people of all backgrounds, all faiths - or no faith - races and religions to build houses together in partnership with families in need.
Families are selected on the basis of housing need, willingness to partner with Habitat and ability to repay the mortgage loan. Our partner families are offered a 20 to 30-year, 0%-interest mortgage. Mortgage payments received from homeowners are directly recycled to build more homes in San Diego County for low-income families.
San Diego Habitat builds homes using:
- Tax deductible contributions - land, materials, money
- Volunteer labor - Almost 100% of the labor we utilize is from volunteers
- "Sweat equity" labor of homeowner families - Instead of a cash down payment, potential homeowners contribute 250-500 hours of labor per family. This "sweat equity" can be applied to the construction of their own home, the construction of homes for others, assisting in the ReStore, or other Habitat projects. This keeps the help and goodwill in circulation. Plus, future homeowners learn hands-on how to maintain and fix their homes!
How many homes has Habitat built?
December, 2010 marked the completion of SDHFH's 130th home in San Diego County. We currently have 133 homes in the planning stages.
Habitat International has built or rehabilitated more than 400,000 houses around the world, providing more than 2,000,000 people with safe, decent, affordable shelter.
How does Habitat work?
Through volunteer labor and donations of money, land, and materials, Habitat builds simple, decent houses with the help of the homeowner (partner) families. Habitat houses are sold to partner families with zero-interest mortgages. These monthly mortgage payments are recycled into a revolving fund to construct more Habitat houses in San Diego County.
Is Habitat a charity?
SDHFH is a 501(c)(3) nonprofit organization. We offer families a hand up instead of a hand out, so we prefer not to call ourselves a "charity." By selling the homes to the families instead of giving them away, Habitat fosters long term self-sufficiency and independence.
Donations to San Diego Habitat for Humanity are tax-deductible. To make a donation, please contact:
Ellen Immergut at 619-283-4663 ext. 325 or send an email to elleni@sdhfh.org.
Can't find the answer to your question on our website? Contact us at 619-283-4663.