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Habitat International
McMinnville Habitat for Humanity is an affiliate of Habitat for Humanity International, an ecumenical housing ministry dedicated to eliminating poverty housing from the face of the earth. Habitat’s goal is big, but we believe that it can be accomplished by attacking the problem one community at a time. Since 1976, Habitat for Humanity has built 300,000 houses in over 100 countries, making our organization the world’s largest homebuilder. As a result, more than 1,000,000 people in more than 3,000 communities live in safer, more decent, more affordable shelther than they experienced before!
Founded in 1991, McMinnville Area Habitat for Humanity has built 36 homes with families in the greater McMinnville area. Twenty-five of these homes have been built in McMinnville, six in Lafayette, two in Sheridan, and one in Amity. We partner with families that live or work in the communities of McMinnville, Amity, Lafayette, Carlton, Yamhill, Sheridan and Willamina.
In 2010, we are building the last two homes that will complete our Debbie Street subdivision in McMinnville. The West Valley Chapter will soon partner with a family to build on Harrison Street in Sheridan. In 2011 we will begin building the infrastructure for a development to house more than 30 families on Atlantic Street!
Habitat for Humanity houses are built with volunteer labor and utilize many donated materials. Habitat families contribute a minimum of 500 hours of ‘sweat equity’ (or 250 hours for a single-adult household) working alongside volunteers during the construction of their home. After a house is complete, it is sold to the family at cost with an interest-free mortgage.
Mortgage payments received from homeowners are reinvested into a Revolving Fund for Humanity to build more homes in the McMinnville area, thus helping to sustain our program into the future!
Partner families are selected based on three major criteria: 1) need; 2) ability to pay; and 3) willingness to partner. Families must meet our credit and income guidelines. In addition, they must also commit to contributing the required hours of sweat equity including homeowner education classes intended to support their future success. Because there are so many low-income families in the McMinnville area who apply for our program and meet our qualifications, we choose to partner first with the neediest families experiencing the greatest need.
More on how to: Apply for a Home
Stories of successful families:
the Camachos
the Dean family
Through the construction of safe, decent, affordable homes, Habitat is changing lives, one family at a time.
Habitat’s homeownership program:
* helps partner families gain an increased sense of self worth and learn new skills;
* frees up family income for better health care, nutrition and educational opportunities;
* helps provide children with the stability they need to perform well in school;
* adds new revenue to the property tax base; and
* rebuilds neighborhoods struggling with crime and poverty.
In addition to this, every year Habitat gives millions of volunteers an opportunity to make a tangible difference in their own community, a feeling, which in and of itself, adds incredible value to the lives of all who participate.
McMinnville Area Habitat is also making a positive impact on our community through our reusable building materials business, The ReStore.
If you have questions about our program that are not addressed on this website, please feel free to contact us at: info@machabitat.org
Frequently Asked Questions
QUESTION: If Habitat sells homes at cost, how do you ensure that families don’t sell their homes and make an instant profit?
ANSWER: Habitat for Humanity has a fiduciary responsibility to protect the investment that donors make in our program. To do this, we give every family both a 1st and a 2nd mortgage. The 1st mortgage (for the sale price of the home) is typically the only amount on which a family makes a monthly payment. The 2nd mortgage (or "silent second") is the difference between the sale price of the home and the market value. The 2nd becomes due if a family wishes to sell their house and gradually falls away over the course of 25 years. Thus, a family can’t buy a house "at cost", and sell it "at market value" to make an instant "flipped" profit. Habitat has the first right of refusal if a family needs to sell their home with the first ten years.
QUESTION: What keeps Habitat homes affordable?
ANSWER: Habitat keeps the cost of building homes affordable through the donation of volunteer labor, partnership with local and national sponsors, and the support of our local community patrons and partners.
That affordability is passed directly on to our partner families. Our families can afford to buy a house instead of renting, because our loans are interest-free; we are able to customize the length of our mortgages to the income of our families; and they themselves invest 'sweat equity' before putting in their first dime.
QUESTION: Where does Habitat build?
ANSWER: McMinnville Area Habitat for Humanity builds in both McMinnville and outlying rural communities, including Lafayette and Sheridan. Because land in our community is becoming both scarce and expensive, Habitat builds primarily in areas where we can purchase affordable land. Because finding available lots is our biggest challenge, donations of land are an incredible value to us.
QUESTION: What kind of houses does Habitat build?
ANSWER: Habitat for Humanity builds simple, decent homes. Typically homes are three bedrooms with one bathroom, and are around 1100 square feet. Houses do not have extras like fireplaces or wood floors, but families to get to personalize aspects such as exterior paint color, light fixtures and flooring.