Fox Valley Habitat for Humanity

The Habitat model has been used over 750,000 times around the world successfully. Habitat families enter into a unique, long-term partnership with Habitat for Humanity. The three criteria for a family to qualify for affordable housing are: need, ability to pay back the mortgage and willingness to partner. If these criteria are met, families have the opportunity to own their home by paying an interest-free mortgage back to FVHH. In addition, families undergo an extensive family selection process to qualify including work history and credit check. Each family must first put in at least 200 hours of "sweat equity" on other Habitat houses and 150 hours on their own home. Another requirement is to complete our 26-hour financial training course before moving into their home to ensure the success of the family. Despite lower incomes that are only 30%-60% of the median income and the difficult economy, FVHH only has 1 foreclosure in our 25 year history.  

We are currently in the middle of raising $1.8 million for our Working Families: Rebuilding Neighborhoods campaign. Reaching this goal will make it possible for FVHH to build or rehab 20 homes over the next 4 years. Every rehab we complete has a huge positive impact on each neighborhood. We don't just flip a home, we gut and rebuild it to almost new condition, changing the eyesore of the neighborhood into an attractive home.