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It all started with a few dedicated folks back in 1992... Our MissionHabitat for Humanity of Utah County, working in partnership with God and area residents from all walks of life, strives to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness in our county by building and renovating houses with people in need so that there are decent neighborhoods in which every person can experience God's love, and can live and grow into all that God intends. Habitat for Humanity is a non-denominational Christian organization affiliated with Habitat for Humanity International. HFHI was founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller in Americus, Georgia, on the belief that everyone deserves a decent place to live. Our Accomplishments So Far HfHUC has built 28 affordable housing units in Utah County. We are currently finishing 2 homes in Orem. This summer, we will be working on 3 new homes: one in Payson, one in Springville and one in Provo. The Payson home will be our annual Blitz Build in June, with the assistance of the Utah Correctional Industries and the Utah Valley Homebuilders' Association. We are successfully expanding our building program to include renovation/rehabilitation of existing homes which are suitable for our program. We are just completing our second rehab project. Our finished homes have provided 45 adults and 96 children with a safe place to call home, a place where each family can flourish. We continue to bring together families, neighbors, students and local businesses to build and strengthen our community. The success benefits generations to come. How It Works Through volunteer labor, professional expertise and tax-deductible donations, we obtain land and build simple, decent homes in Utah County. Families who meet our qualifications help build, then purchase the home at no profit to our organization. Their monthly payments go into a revolving fund to help build more homes. Families must have need, be able to pay, and be willing to partner with our organization. New homeowners have a unique pride in this home, which has given them a "hand up", not a "hand-out." Families and communities thrive when everyone has a sturdy, safe, nurturing place to call home. Right under our noses, our own neighbors in this community are living in deplorable conditions. Please join us and help to end this unacceptable situation. Our Needs With a high rental market and lower than average incomes, many local families struggle monthly to keep a roof over their heads and make ends meet. These families are often forced to live in substandard housing due to high rents, a large student demand for apartments, low vacancy rates (only 4.2 percent), and many absentee landlords who don’t appropriately maintain their properties. In Utah County, the median income for a family of four is $45,833 with a poverty rate of 16%. Families wanting to limit housing expenses to the recommended rate of 30 percent of their monthly income have to make over $30,000 per year to be able to afford the average gross rental rate of $634.00. Because of these increasing high rates, 75 percent of families making less than 80 percent of the area median income report an average to severe housing cost burden. Housing and land costs within Utah County are increasing due to unprecedented population growth and the finite amount of developable land. In June 2006, the average list price for a home was over $400,000 with the average sales price being $257,756 for all residential types. Based on national data, this trend will continue for at least five years in Utah Valley. At this continued rate of high growth, families wanting to limit housing expenses to the recommended 30 percent of their gross monthly income, will have to make over $65,000 a year to qualify for a $250,000 30 year mortgage at the average interest rate of seven percent. With a median household income for a family of 4 of $45,833, many Utah County residents have little or no hope of obtaining homeownership. There is a low inventory of homes priced below $200,000 due to strong buyer demand, rising land and building material costs, and a high demand for rentals by college students. The Utah Valley Home Builders Association reported that single family homes selling for below $140,000 only made up for 22 percent of all residential sales. Additionally, much of the affordable housing stock especially in the Provo/Orem area has been turned into investment or rental properties further reducing the number of affordable housing units available for sale. The older, affordable housing stock is deteriorating throughout the county due to age, lack of appropriate maintenance and the transition of these homes from single family to investment or rental properties. This continued deterioration of homes has created transitory neighborhoods suffering from higher crime rates and overall decline. Community Partners Partnering with the community is as important as the family partnerships. Together, we can make a difference right here at home. In addition to the volunteer-built homes, we have been privileged to have homes sponsored or built by the Utah Valley Homebuilders' Association, the Provo City Firefighters, Target Stores, the BYU Alumni Association, BYU Construction Management Department and Salisbury Homes, as well as a home built through The House That Congress Built program. We are grateful to the Utah Valley Consortium of Cities and Counties and city offices of Provo, Orem, Santaquin and Spanish Fork for their continued support. Area churches including St. Francis Catholic, Springville Presbyterian, Community Presbyterian in American Fork, Christ Evangelical and the Rock Canyon Assembly of God provide regular encouragement in many forms. Many LDS wards have participated in builds and other events. Consistent financial support is provided by: Albertsons, Ashton Family Foundation, Bank of American Fork, Central Bank, Century Title, Community Action, Federal Home Loan Bank, FiberNet, Gardner & Associates, Hunter-Douglas, Nestlé, Ray & Tye Noorda Foundation, Raymond James, Symantec, Utah Association of Realtors, Wells Fargo Bank and Whirlpool. Appreciation also goes to local suppliers who assist us with much-needed donations and discounts: Ace Everlasting Excavation, A-Company Portable Restrooms, Allred's Ace Hardware, Bulloch Brothers Engineering, FiberNet, Home Depot, Koyle Electric, Lowe's, M13 Construction, McCoy's Carpet, Powell Garage Doors, Waxie Sanitary Supply and WPA architecture. We are affiliated with United Way of Utah County and have campus chapters at Brigham Young University and Utah Valley University. We welcome these new partners for 2006: UVU, BYU's ABC and NAHB Chapter Members, NuSkin and Winroc. Past Accomplishments and Future Goals 2006 Annual Report (pdf format) Strategic Plan 2006 - 2009 (Word doc)
Photo Gallery Here are some of our partner families and their homes. Click on the thumbnail to see a larger image.
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