2601 Atkinson Ave.
Killeen, TX 76543
USA
Gene Bauer - Executive Director
as of March 18, 2009
Fax: 254-680-4839
Email: habitat@clearwire.net
Habitat for Humanity, International’s goal is to “eliminate poverty housing from the face of the earth.” The Fort Hood Area Habitat for Humanity’s mission is to accomplish Habitat for Humanity International’s mission in our area, specifically in Bell, Coryell and Lampasas Counties of Texas.
The Fort Hood Area Habitat for Humanity, Inc. was incorporated in 1994 and built its first home in 1995. At that time the service we offered was to build and sell homes to low income families at an affordable cost. Since that time we have built 53 homes for low-income families and have homes 54 and 55 under construction now, with homes 56 – 58 due to start this year.
The need in our area is great. In Bell, Coryell and Lampasas Counties, according to the 2000 census, there are 252 family members that live in a boat, RV, Van or similar vehicle. 423 family members live without heat. There are 551 homes that have inadequate plumbing and/or kitchen facilities. 2,585 families have an average occupancy of more than 1.51 people per room. No traditional mortgage lender will give a mortgage to an individual if that mortgage is over 30% of their income. Even the Federal Government, through the Office of Housing and Urban Development recognizes and enforces a limit of 30% of income, yet in our area 9,248 pay over 30% of their income on their mortgage each month and 13,757 pay over 30% of their income on their rent each month. In these three counties there are 35,531 individuals living below the poverty level.
These are the families we attempt to help. They are not the poorest who qualify for federal assistance and they are not the ones that traditional lenders will take a chance on. They are in that middle ground and seem to be stuck there.
That is where we come in. We do not give them a hand out; we give them a hand up, a chance to improve the possibilities for themselves and, especially, for their children. Through our efforts we not only want to eliminate poverty housing, we want to break the cycle of poverty that families seem to hand down from parents to children over generations.
Very key to our goal of eliminating poverty housing is the fact that we will not be able to do this by simply building homes. We have to change attitudes that poverty housing is acceptable. Children raised in a home are 70% more likely to go on to be home owners themselves. Communities do not want to have poverty housing. By being a catalyst for change, taking action in neighborhoods that need it, demonstrating to children that they don’t have to live that way, and showing communities that collectively they can make a difference, we are leading the way to eliminate poverty housing.
Our service area, the three counties, is 2,823 square miles. That is larger than the states of Delaware and Rhode Island. We primarily use volunteers to accomplish our mission. To support the organization we have only two full time positions (the Executive Director and the Construction Supervisor) and two part time positions (an accountant and a pickup/delivery driver for our thrift shop we call the ReStore) on staff. The Executive Director also oversees our volunteer staff of 22 individuals who volunteer on a weekly basis and a volunteer base of 6,300 volunteers who help monthly, quarterly or annually.
Re-store
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