Key West & Lower FL Keys Habitat for Humanity complies with the U.S. policy for the achievement of equal housing opportunity throughout the nation. We support an affirmative advertising and marketing program in which there are no barriers to obtaining housing because of race, color, religion, sex, handicap, familial status, national origin, age, marital status, sexual orientation, or sources of income.
Habitat is a world wide grass-roots movement. There are more than 2,100 active affiliates in 100 countries, including all 50 states of the United States, the District of Columbia, Guam and Puerto Rico. Concerned citizens from all walks of life come together as volunteers to form a Habitat affiliate in their community. Fundraising, house construction, family selection and other key decisions are carried out by the local affiliates. HFHI headquarters, located in Americus, GA., provides information, training, support and other services to Habitat affiliates world wide.
Founded in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, Habitat for Humanity International is a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing ministry dedicated to eliminating substandard housing and homelessness worldwide and to making adequate, affordable shelter a matter of conscience and action. Habitat invites people from all faiths, and no faith, and from all walks of life to work together in partnership, building houses with families in need. Habitat has built and renovated over 200,000 houses worldwide since 1967. Habitat believes that every person deserves, at the least, a simple and decent place in which to live and grow.
We are a locally run affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, a nonprofit, ecumenical Christian housing organization. Habitat builds or renovates homes in partnership with families who qualify for home ownership based on three criteria: demonstrated need; willingness to partner with HFH; and, an ability to repay a no-interest mortgage. Habitat sells its houses at no profit, with no interest charged to these Partner Families who must invest hundreds of hours of labor- "sweat equity" - into building their homes and the homes of others. Their mortgage payments go into a revolving Fund for Humanity that is used to build more houses for other deserving families throughout the Lower Keys.
In the aftermath of recent hurricanes, Habitat answered the plight of many Keys’ residents with volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials rehabilitating over 160 homes in the Lower Keys. Answering the tremendous need for affordable rentals in the Lower Keys, Habitat has recently purchased and is renovating two apartment buildings in Key West with occupancy expected for the late summer of 2009.
Much of the work is performed by volunteers. We have myriad volunteer opportunities - not just swinging hammers and painting! We welcome volunteers in our two offices, Big Pine Key and Key West to help with general office assistance. We also offer volunteer opportunities in the ReStore and CoConut Closet. We have opportunities for everyone who wants to help fulfil our mission of helping to provide decent, affordable housing to those qualified families and individuals in our community. Click here to see how you can help!
Habitat for Humanity of Key West & Lower FL Keys is a Florida licensed 501(c)(3) nonprofit and all donations are tax deductible. Most of our funding comes from private donations and is augmented by private, state and federal grant programs. Our most recent audited financial statement is available upon request. All private donations are used as designated by the donor and gifts received by us that are designated to a specific building project are forwarded to that project. Any undesignated gifts are used where most needed.
Our all volunteer Board of Directors determines policy and monitors operations in conjunction with a board of advisers. Board members are dedicated volunteers who are deeply concerned about the problems of poverty housing in our community. We operate with an administrative staff, assisted by a core group of clerical and support employees and supplemented by long-term and short-term volunteers.
identifies and evaluates potential sites and coordinates all labor, plans, materials and family interests to build a simple, decent home.
cultivates and sustains Habitat for Humanity of Key West and Lower Florida Keys' relationships with local churches.
organizes and carries out the application, interview, and selection process. They find families who meet the criteria of need, ability to make no-interest loan payments and willingness to partner with Habitat for Humanity. The committee works with families though sweat equity, home ownership education, home purchase process, adjustment to new responsibilities and continued partnership with the organization.
works to raise sufficient money as determined by the Board of Directors to fund the needs of the organization in order that simple, decent housing can be built for our local workforce.
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