Home Ownership Benefits

Home ownership provides a broad range of benefits to individual homeowners and sustainable impact to a community as a whole.  Children of homeowners do better in school and are more successful later in life.  Homeowners are 65% more likely to belong to community organizations, parent teacher organizations and volunteer efforts.  Home ownership acts as a powerful economic stimulus, benefiting the individual and the community.  Habitat for Humanity San Fernando/Santa Clarita Valleys is one of only 5% of Habitat’s internationally that have built or rebuilt over 100 homes (with 215 homes in our history). Even fewer Habitats build large neighborhoods of homes, and no other does so in an enriched environment.

We make sure your dollar has an impact on direct services…Currently, the results of this success translate into 88 active mortgages that ensure funds raised for new construction are dedicated 100% to construction costs and not to administration or fund raising.  In fact, as demonstrated in our annual audit, less than 4% of all funds go to these purposes; with over 96 Cents of every dollar spent on direct services and construction.

Our projects serve veterans, families of the fallen and the working poor, at about 60% of the average income of the region.  We believe that, in order to effect long-term economic advancement, affordable housing has to move beyond subsidy to home-stability in an environment that empowers future generations to move up the economic ladder.

Results are outstanding:

• In the city of Pacoima, where the average drop-out rate is 51%, children who grow up in a Habitat Enriched Neighborhood have over 99% graduation rates.
• Grade point averages among Habitat families are above 3.1.
• The average time Habitat homeowners have been at their current jobs is 7.18 years.
• Despite current trends, there have been no foreclosures among the over 214 families served.
• over 10% of parents in Habitat households have returned to school for a degree or certificated program to advance employment.

As is demonstrated by these results, moving into a safe, decent home of their own is a life-changing experience for a family.  Children experience the most profound effects of stable housing and neighborhood support.  With the enriched neighborhood, self-sufficiency reaches a new level.   On a broader scale, the impact is felt throughout the community.  Stronger, more stable families build stronger communities both socially and economically.  Property values are raised, strain on social services and other public programs is reduced; the workforce is better served by the community that needs its services.

Veterans make good neighbors.
A Time U.S. Poll found that 92% of veterans want to serve their communities once they return home.
The proposed project, SCV Habitat for Heroes, will serve veterans and their families.  It will be augmented by the addition of veteran-specific services, such as collaborating with those agencies that provide veteran services for job placement, educational assistance, post traumatic stress disorder, and so on.  By providing these services in their small neighborhood, within the supportive context of a group setting with other veterans, it is believed that the outcomes will be outstanding.  Veteran groups from across the county have supported this view and are anxious to begin this project, which will serve as the first community with transitional services in the context of permanent home ownership for veterans.

Economic Development
Habitat for Humanity is the sixth largest home builder in the United States.

The Habitat for Humanity SF/SCV’s special SCV Habitat for Heroes project will work closely with Veteran and locally owned businesses to keep contracts in the community.  On their Phase 3 Pacoima project alone, Habitat awarded over $3.3 million in construction contracts.

By the end of 2011, our local Habitat affiliate will have added over $725,000 in value to our County property tax roles.

Veteran homeowners will pay a mortgage which is reinvested into new homes and the surrounding community, meaning your gift to build neighborhoods creates more opportunities for reinvestment by homeowners.