Our History
Helping Families Become Homeowners Since 1991
Habitat for Humanity was founded by Millard and Linda Fuller in 1976. Its mission has always remained the same—to improve our communities and the lives of others by eradicating substandard housing and homelessness by providing safe and affordable housing. Since 1976 Habitat for Humanity has built over 400,000 homes in countries around the world and provided over 1,000,000 people with safe and affordable housing.
The Greater Florence affiliate of Habitat for Humanity received its charter in 1991 and has since partnered with 40 families and 52 children to help them become homeowners and give them the opportunity for a better life.
Total Homes Built
Annual Volunteers
Annual Sponsors
Annual Volunteer Hours
Why Habitat is Needed
Lack of affordable housing can seep into every aspect of life. It forces families with low income to live in substandard rentals that consume much of their income for rent and energy costs. This leaves little money for food, healthcare, transportation and education. Families often move from rental to rental seeking lower housing costs, which triggers educational instability for children.
Habitat brings families, community partners and volunteers together to construct affordable, energy-efficient homes that help families build stability, strength and self-reliance. In fact, the stability provided by homeownership is recognized as the leading factor in children’s academic success.
The Habitat Model
The Habitat program has been carefully designed to ensure successful outcomes. This success is based on the following model.
- Select families for homeowner partnership
- Educate prospective homeowner families
- Engage families through education and the performance of “sweat equity” in order to better themselves
- Insist on personal responsibility by each homeowner family
Proof that Habitat Works
Our foreclosure rate is less than 0.4%. As families pay their mortgage, they develop equity in their home, which changes their financial trajectory and helps break the generational cycle of poverty. In turn, families are more stable, and neighborhoods and whole communities are strengthened.
Our Vision
A world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Our Guiding Principles
- Demonstrate the love of Jesus Christ
- Focus on shelter
- Advocate for affordable housing
- Promote dignity and hope
- Support sustainable and transformational development
Our Non-proselytizing Policy
Habitat for Humanity International and its affiliated organizations will not proselytize. Nor will HFH work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with HFH. This means that HFH will not offer assistance on the expressed or implied condition that people must adhere to or convert to a particular faith or listen and respond to messaging designed to induce conversion to a particular faith.
What Drives Us
Our Mission
Seeking to put God’s love into action, Greater Florence Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.
Our organization will not proselytize, nor will we work with entities or individuals who insist on proselytizing as part of their work with us. Our vision is simply to create a world where everyone has a decent place to live.
Our Leadership
Greater Florence Habitat for Humanity staff members provide professional coordination, facilitation, financial, and administrative functions for Habitat partners, volunteers and homeowner families.
Our ReStore Staff
We are grateful for our staff and volunteers who maintain, accept donations, stock the shelves and help us run the retail side of our ReStore. Every contribution received from the sale of each donated item goes to help another Greater Florence family achieve the dream of owning their own home.