Why Homes?

For people living with housing instability, affordable homeownership changes everything. 

Watch the videoMake a Donation
Why Homes?
For people living with housing instability, affordable homeownership changes everything. 
Watch the videoMake a Donation

Nearly 60% of Collier County renters struggle with housing affordability.1

More than 20,000 households in Collier County qualify as “cost-burdened,” meaning they spend over 30 percent of their income on housing costs. In order to put a roof overhead, families are shelling out huge portions of their monthly income, sacrificing safety and health for more affordable rentals, or sharing spaces with other families in overcrowded homes. Not only does substandard housing make it difficult to make ends meet, it affects health, childhood development, family dynamics, and employment opportunities.

But access to affordable homeownership opportunities means improved health, greater focus on education, and the chance to break the cycle of poverty for future generations.

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30 Families. 30 Homes. 30 Days.

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30 Families. 30 Homes. 30 Days.Though the Covid-19 Pandemic has slowed things down for everyone, June is still set to be a big month for Habitat Collier families. So many of our families who are waiting to close on their homes are sheltering in overcrowded and...

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Framing the Future:Leaving FootprintsGrowing up, Junette’s biggest influence was always her mother, Paulette. She watched how hard her mom worked for everything they had: first as a fieldworker in Immokalee, then waking up at four in the morning to take the long walk...

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Home Changes Everything

Health & Safety

Families priced out of adequate rentals are often forced to take up residence in places that have been neglected and become breeding grounds for mold, mildew, and pest infestations. Others turn to cheaper rentals in unsafe neighborhoods.

With a Habitat, families can afford to live in a safe and healthy home. One that they maintain to make sure it stays that way.

 

Budget & finance

The cost of renting is so high in Collier County that many families must make difficult decisions about paying for necessities. Imagine having to choose between paying the water bill and buying groceries or going to the doctor when you are sick. 

Habitat Collier ensures that payments on our no-interest mortgages are never more than 30% of the owner’s income.

children & school

When parents are struggling, children feel it, too. Living in substandard housing can have an affect on grades, learning, and can make it difficult for children to participate in extra-curriculars or build important relationships with children their age. 

The foundation of a stable home allows kids to be kids and gives parents the time and focus to help their children thrive.

 

Career & opportunity

Many of the people we partner with work multiple jobs to support their families, leaving little time to further their education or pursue better career opportunities. It’s impossible to attain a more lucrative career when you work endless hours just to stay afloat.

An affordable mortgage often eliminates the need for multiple jobs and can free up time and funds to seek better opportunities.

Our Mission

Seeking to put God’s love into action, Habitat for Humanity brings people together to build homes, communities and hope.

Get Involved

From hammering nails and painting walls on the job site to working in our offices and ReStores, there are plenty of opportunities to get involved at Habitat Collier.

How do we end poverty housing?

People Make Donations ⇨

Families Partner with Habitat ⇨

Volunteers & Families Build ⇨

Families Purchase Homes

We partner with individuals and businesses in the community to raise funds, build homes, and advocate for policies that promote the construction of affordable homes in our community. We work diligently to be the best steward of donor dollars, with 95 cents of every dollar donated going directly to our programs and services— that is, building homes and serving families.

Our partnership goes far beyond selling homes that are affordable. We work closely with each partner family to ensure that they are set up for success and continue to work with them long after the purchase. We’re proud to boast an all-time foreclosure rate of just 1% and hundreds of kids who have broken the cycle of poverty because of their parents’ investment in their futures through homeownership.

Prepared for Success

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Our exhaustive application process includes verification of legal status, employment history, income verification and both criminal and credit background checks.

Applicant families must complete 500 hours of “sweat equity” helping to build their homes and those of their neighbors before buying their homes with an affordable mortgage.
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Families are empowered with tools to be great homeowners through classes including Budgeting, Understanding the Mortgage, Home Maintenance and more.

Before closing on their homes, each Habitat partner family must make a down payment and pay their first year’s insurance premium— not unlike a conventional mortgage!
Each Habitat community has an HOA made up of residents who are supported by volunteers, staff, and a management company to maintain neighborhood standards.