How Faith Communities Can Help Tackle the Housing Crisis

Learn how to engage your community and congregation to address the affordable housing crisis. Join us on Tuesday, June 27th at 2 p.m. PT for a FREE Live Webinar:

“Accelerate Your Community Engagement, Activate Your Congregation While Addressing the Affordable Housing Crisis”

Register now to join Dr. Jim O’Farrell, Associate Faculty at City University of Seattle, Jess Blanch, AIA, Senior Program Director with Enterprise Community Partners and Rev. Kristin Joyner, Pastor of Community Engagement, Bothell United Methodist Church, for an insightful on-line live seminar to help you understand how you can enhance your community engagement and congregation excitement about solutions to the housing crisis..

During the webinar, you will gain insights into engaging your congregation and community in helping to address the affordable housing crisis here in the Puget Sound area.

This is the second webinar hosted by Dr. Jim O’Farrell, Jess Blanch, AIA, and Rev. Kristin Joyner. The group previously got together for an insightful on-line live seminar to help you understand how you can enhance your community engagement and congregation excitement about solutions to the housing crisis.

By watching the above webinar, you will gain insights into engaging your congregation and community in helping to address the affordable housing crisis here in the Puget Sound area. Here are some facts:

Fact 1: The median home price in King County, Washington, USA was $925,000 in December 2022, making it difficult for many low- and middle-income families to afford to purchase a home.

Fact 2:  A recently published report by the National Low Income Housing Coalition (NHLIC) says that the hourly wage required to afford a 2-bedroom apartment in the Seattle Metro area is $39.31.  https://nlihc.org/oor/state/wa

If you’re committed to engaging your congregation in working to help solve the affordable housing crisis but are unsure of how to get started, this webinar is a must-watch.

You’ll learn:

·         Tips for engaging your congregation and community with regards to helping with the affordable housing crisis     

·         Various opportunities unique to faith based communities when it comes to affordable housing solutions (e.g., partnering with Habitat for Humanity, Enterprise Community Partners)

·         Best practices for accelerating your initiatives for affordable housing projects

Announcing the Speaker for Habitat SKKC’s 2023 Beyond the Build Luncheon: Majora Carter

We are delighted to announce our 2023 Beyond the Build Luncheon speaker as Majora Carter, real estate developer, urban revitalization strategy consultant, MacArthur Fellow, and Peabody Award winning broadcaster. Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties’ largest fundraising event of the year will take place on Thursday, June 8 at the new Summit Building at Seattle Convention Center. To register, click here.

Majora Carter is responsible for the creation of numerous economic development, technology inclusion & green-infrastructure projects, policies and job training & placement systems.  She is also a lecturer at Princeton University’s Keller Center. She is quoted on the walls of the Smithsonian Museum of African-American History and Culture in DC: “Nobody should have to move out of their neighborhood to live in a better one” – which is also the subtitle of her 2022 book, Reclaiming Your Community.

Carter applies corporate talent-retention consulting practice to reduce Brain Drain in American low-status communities. She has firsthand experience pioneering sustainable economic development in one of America’s most storied low-status communities: the South Bronx, as well as cities across North America and abroad. 

She and her teams develop vision, strategies and the type of development that transforms low-status communities into thriving mixed-use local economies. Her approach harnesses capital flows resulting from American re-urbanization to help increase wealth building opportunities across demographics left out of all historic financial tide changes. Majora’s work produces long term fiscal benefits for governments, residents, and private real estate developments throughout North America.

In 2017, she launched the Boogie Down Grind, a Hip Hop themed specialty coffee & craft beer spot, and the first commercial “3rd Space” in the Hunts Point section of the South Bronx since the mid-1980s. This venture also provides a rare opportunity for local families to invest through SEC approved online investment platforms. 

Her ability to shepherd projects through seemingly conflicted socio-economic currents has garnered her 8 honorary PhD’s and awards such as: 100 Most Intriguing Entrepreneurs by Goldman Sachs, Silicon Alley 100 by Business Insider, Liberty Medal for Lifetime Achievement by News Corp, and other honors from the National Building Museum, International Interior Design Association, Center for American Progress, as well as her TEDtalk (one of six to launch that site in 2006).

She currently serves on the board of directors for STREB and Solar One, and has served on the boards of the U.S. Green Building Council, Ceres, The Wilderness Society, and the Andrew Goodman Foundation.

Majora was born, raised and continues to live in the South Bronx. She is a graduate of the Bronx High School of Science (1984), Wesleyan University (1988 BA, Distinguished Alum) and New York University (MFA).  After establishing  Sustainable South Bronx (2001) and Green For All (2007), among other organizations, she opened this private consulting firm (2008) – which was named Best for the World by B-Corp in 2014.

While at Sustainable South Bronx, Carter deployed MIT’s first ever Mobile Fab-Lab (digital fabrication laboratory) to the South Bronx – where it served as an early iteration of the “Maker-Spaces” found elsewhere today.  The project drew residents and visitors together for guided and creative collaborations.  

In addition, Majora Carter launched StartUp Box, a ground-breaking tech social enterprise that provided entry-level tech jobs in the South Bronx, operating it from 2014-2018.  Majora Carter has helped connect tech industry pioneers such as Etsy, Gust, FreshDirect, Google, and Cisco to diverse communities at all levels.

We can’t wait to welcome Majora to Seattle this June! Please join us at the 2023 Beyond the Build Luncheon for an inspiring program. For more information on Majora Carter, please visit www.majoracartergroup.com

Beyond the Build Luncheon 2023

Beyond the Build Luncheon 2023

Thursday June 8 | Seattle Convention Center – Summit Building

Mark your calendars for our annual Beyond the Build Luncheon!

Join us as we gather at our luncheon at noon on Thursday, June 8th, 2023, where we’ll celebrate accomplishments, look to the work ahead, and honor longtime supporters.

As more families in Seattle struggle to keep a roof over their heads, Habitat and our supporters step up to provide safe and affordable housing to those who need it most.

Our speaker for this year’s luncheon is Majora Carter. Click the banner below to learn more.

Women Build

“I have been telling everyone that my experience on the Habitat for Humanity Women Build far exceeded my expectations and was truly one of the most empowering experiences of my life! Truly. We absolutely want to be involved again next year.”

—Lisa K., Prime Electric

What is Women Build?

Women Build encourages women to give back to their community while helping Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties make a difference in the lives of low-income families. Over the course of several weeks in April and May, the women and organizations of King County will fund projects, build affordable homes, and revitalize neighborhoods. 

How do I get involved?

• Donate and volunteer: Women Build is our largest volunteer-led fundraising event each year. With a donation of $150, you will gain access to our full calendar of volunteer opportunities, and your very own Women Build t-shirt, and help ensure affordable housing continues to be built for hard-working women and families in our community.

Volunteer opportunities are available at select Habitat Stores, Construction Sites, and Home Repair projects located throughout King County

Please register below to make your donation and receive your link to sign up to volunteer!

Engage others: Build a team of your own with your friends, neighbors, faith community and/or family! Please contact Hannah.Lazere@habitatskc.org to learn more about reserving a group day.

• Volunteer with your company: Corporate sponsorships and group volunteer opportunities are available throughout Women Build.

Special events

• Online and In-person: We are building out a series of exciting engagement opportunities that will take place during Women Build, including panel discussions, financial education classes, DIY home repair, and advocacy sessions. Check out our website and social media for more details as they are confirmed.

 

Interfaith Build 2022: We accomplish more when we work together

We were fortunate to have 29 volunteers representing a variety of faith traditions, including Jewish and Christian, as well as representatives already working in the interfaith space (Terry Kyllo of Paths to Understanding and Kirstin Joyner of Bothell United Methodist Church) join us to create more affordable housing during this year’s Interfaith Build.

Additionally, students from Northwest Yeshiva High School contributed over the two-day event.

Each day began with a blessing given by Alan Bunin of the Jewish tradition. Also giving blessings/prayers were Pastor Chad Johnson of Grace Lutheran, Tamar Libicki of Congregation Beth Shalom, Terry Kyllo of Paths to Understanding and Kristin Joyner of BUMC. At lunch, we celebrated many faiths’ roles in building stronger communities.    

These Interfaith Build days were a great example of what we can accomplish when we work together, and all of the participants agreed to keep the momentum going throughout the year by seeking other Interfaith activities to participate in. Joining forces with the work of Paths to Understanding, Faith Action Network and the work of BUMC will provide an avenue for deeper connection in the Interfaith space.     

Next year, the plan is to schedule Interfaith Build closer to Sept. 11, because it was the tragedy surrounding Sept. 11, 2001 terrorist attacks that provided the original motivation to begin the Interfaith Build.