On Monday, May 5, nearly 800 affordable housing advocates gathered downtown to celebrate 40 years of building community alongside Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia and raise critical funds to support homeowners in the city.
The Philadelphia affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, the largest nonprofit homebuilder worldwide, began as a grassroots organization of dedicated volunteers in 1985. In the 40 years since, the affiliate has built or sold 280 homes to first-time buyers and provided critical repairs to 1,062 homes.
Clissita Daniels, a Habitat homeowner who bought her home in 2021, reflected on the impact of homeownership for her family.
“Homeownership is so much more than just having a roof overhead,” Daniels said. “Homeownership is the foundation for a stronger life. When families like mine own our homes, we gain stability, safety and peace of mind.”
Habitat Philadelphia’s program has evolved over the years, going from building two or three homes a year to designing 20-unit developments and performing 150 repairs each year.
Future homeowners enroll in workshops on financial management and home maintenance while volunteering on build sites and in the Habitat ReStores. They purchase homes with an affordable mortgage – often less than $1,000 a month – with zero-percent interest.
“Homeownership opens doors. Period,” said CEO Corinne O’Connell. “Every home sold marks a turning point in a family’s life.”
Judith Gripper was in danger of losing her home following a major structural failure. Her daughter found Habitat’s repair program, and though the home required a new facade and roof, Habitat was able to partner with the Philadelphia Housing Development Corporation to perform the necessary repairs and keep Mrs. Gripper in the home she had owned for more than 20 years.
The need for affordable housing is a nationwide crisis. In Philadelphia, a unique combination of high poverty rates, high homeownership rates and aging housing stock means there is never a shortage of demand.
“Last month alone, 531 families called Habitat Philadelphia looking for housing help, now,” O’Connell shared. “Those 531 families are our why.”
In addition to engaging volunteers, Habitat works closely with elected officials to advocate for smarter housing policies and increased funding at the state and local level. O’Connell currently serves on Mayor Cherelle Parker’s HOME Task Force, which aims to create or preserve 30,000 housing units in the next three years.
“We know how important it is to use our voices to keep this issue at the top of every budget and ballot,” O’Connell said. “Home is the key to a brighter future.”
Other highlights of the Building Hope Luncheon included:
- Reverend Carolyn C. Cavaness of Mother Bethel AME Church and Reverend Rebecca Kirkpatrick of Bryn Mawr Presbyterian Church delivered a keynote address centered on the importance of home in creating what Dr. Martin Luther King called “the Beloved Community.”
- Founding board member, John McClintick, who worked alongside President Jimmy Carter and First Lady Rosalynn Carter when they visited Philadelphia in 1988, was honored with the Patrick F. Monaghan Good Neighbor Award.
- Attorneys Eileen Quigley, Ashley DeLuca and Devon Beverly from law firm Ballard Spahr were presented with the Carter Builder Award in recognition of their years of pro bono legal support, helping Habitat navigate the complex world of zoning, land use, and acquisition.
Hundreds of individuals and 53 sponsors – led by The Farber Family Foundation and Prosperity Home Mortgage – came together to raise more than $697,000 by sharing in Habitat for Humanity’s belief that everyone deserves a decent place to live.
For the 142 children currently growing up in a Habitat Philadelphia home, this overwhelming support is a promise to build hope and community for generations to come.
For more information, visit the Habitat for Humanity Philadelphia website.
_____
