To amplify Habitat’s Black Homeownership Initiative, Habitat for Humanity SKKC has launched a Debt Barrier Removal Program (DBRP). The overall ratio of Black homebuyer applicants is only 6%. Of those, 10% are denied. While the SKKC affiliate has long maintained a higher ratio of Black homeowners at 34%, it realized more needed to be done to help those impacted by historical redlining and institutionalized credit policies.
Excessive debt is often an obstacle to Black homebuyers, particularly first-time homebuyers. Habitat’s Debt Barrier Removal Program is aimed at removing that obstacle by paying off those debts and enabling the buyer to secure financing from a traditional lender. Habitat staff are collaborating with other community housing organizations, such as The Urban League, HomeSight, and Africatown to recruit qualifying candidates for the program.
Applicants referred to Habitat SKKC will be selected using standard criteria, with the final review point being their excessive debt. Once applicants meet the criteria for participation in Habitat home buying, their debt is reviewed and paid. Types of debt that might qualify under this new program include deferred student loans, tax liens or other government judgments, and others assessed on a case-by-case basis, such as medical debt, debts due to identity theft, etc. Their refreshed credit status allows lenders to finance the buyer.
The DBRP agreement adds a level of oversight to the traditional Habitat homebuyer process. Habitat staff simply monitor the homebuyer’s finances monthly to insure there are no changes in income or assets while their home is under construction. Debt Barrier Removal Program funding of $250,000 aims to support 5-10 households in Habitat’s 2022-2023 fiscal year.
Homebuyers participating in the DBRP contribute an additional 125 hours of sweat equity and sign their final agreement when their home is completed. The debt payment is built into the buyer’s affordable house payment. When the home is sold back to SKKC, the debt payment portion of the sale will be returned to the DBRP’s account to help future Black homebuyers.
Homeownership in the U.S. constitutes the largest component of median household wealth through intergenerational wealth transfer. The wealth gap created by generations of discriminatory housing practices has left Black families without the benefit of decades of real estate appreciation, which could be leveraged to help their children and grandchildren become homeowners, pay for college, or weather financial challenges.
The Debt Barrier Removal Program is another step toward chipping away at institutionalized obstacles to Black Homeownership, and it represents Habitat SKKC’s deep commitment to supporting Black families in the region. For more information on Habitat for Humanity SKKC’s new Debt Barrier Removal Program, please visit: https://buyhabitat.org/debt-remediation-fund/
In the face of declining levels of institutional trust worldwide, Habitat for Humanity International has been ranked among the world’s top ten most trusted nonprofit brands in Morning Consult’s Most Trusted Brands 2022 Report. Morning Consult is itself rated among the least biased of global polling organizations with a very high rating for factual reporting by FiveThirtyEight, MediaBiasFactCheck, and Wikipedia.
What this ranking means is that Habitat for Humanity has consistently delivered on its mission and its promise to work toward providing a decent place for everyone to live since 1976 – for more than four decades! Morning Consult reports that this is the most important trust variable current and potential nonprofit donors cited in their willingness to support a nonprofit organization. Habitat for Humanity has held this trust across generations through its actions globally and regionally.
The Morning Consult report also indicates that Habitat for Humanity has, through its consistent actions, navigated a hard-to-achieve pathway to success: “Getting Americans to know your brand, while establishing a legacy of following through organizational promises.”
Habitat for Humanity SKKC not only benefits from this international trust, but it also supports and maintains it through its traditional homeownership programs and its nimble innovations in response to our region’s extreme housing crisis. Programs such as ‘building up’ to provide homeownership through multi-family construction, the Black Homeownership Initiative and this year’s Debt Remediation Pilot Program are inventive and timely responses to the need.
In addition, Habitat SKKC is sustaining trust with action via legislative advocacy that supports policy solutions to the affordable housing crisis. To view the full Morning Consult report, click here.
Chris Grant, a 74-year-old Renton native, was worried about how he would pay for needed repairs on the home he’s occupied since 2006. His 40-year-old carpet was causing him breathing problems and some of the home’s exterior features were dangerously deteriorating.
The steps outside of his house had pulled away allowing rain to pour into his crawl space, and they were treacherously slippery. Rotting wood on the exterior of his home needed replacement to prevent further damage; and he could no longer climb a ladder to clean his gutters. “The prospect of fixing these problems was wearing on me for a couple of years,” he shared.
Procore
This summer, Chris became curious about Habitat for Humanity vans he saw at some of his neighbors’ homes, “Then, somebody left a Habitat flier on my doorknob, and I contacted Ms. Madison.” Madison Vernon, Habitat’sHomebuyer Selection Program Coordinator, walked Chris through the application process. Habitat staff and AmeriCorps volunteers started repairs on his home just a few weeks later. Chris was surprised at the speed of the process, only about six weeks from start to finish. “I was fortunate that my request went in at the same time they were working on my neighbors’ houses,” he said.
The Habitat/AmeriCorps crew did, indeed, apply efficiency in Chris’ Renton neighborhood. They worked simultaneously on his home and three others nearby, which allowed them to tackle similar and specialty projects on all four homes at once. Chris was pleased with the work they did on his home, from replacing rotting wood on the outside to closing a leak caused by a gap in his front steps and replacing that old carpet with laminate flooring. They even trimmed an overgrown bush that was encroaching on his house.
“The place looks like a million bucks now…all the way to the sidewalk,” he said. And much of that old worry is relieved. “Thanks be to God Habitat came around and took away a lot of that agony.” All told, the repairs Habitat staff and AmeriCorps volunteers applied to Chris Grant’s home would total nearly $9,500, which he received at a fraction.
Now a ‘lighter,’ Chris Grant can be seen photographing favorite scenes around his hometown… when he’s not cuddling with his beloved 4-year-old rescue pup, Coco.
To learn more about Habitat SKC’s Repairs program helping low-income individuals address critical home repairs while allowing seniors to “age in place” click here.
Habitat for Humanity Seattle-King & Kittitas Counties is pleased to introduce the newest members of its Board of Directors, starting with news of the appointment of Kat Sims as Board Chair in 2022. We would not be as successful of a Habitat for Humanity affiliate without the hard work and dedication of these individuals and we are honored they have chosen to support our mission of ensuring everyone has a safe, decent and affordable place to call home.
Kathleen “Kat” Sims – Board Chair
Kat Sims has been a Habitat for Humanity SKKC Board Member since July 2018 and was appointed Board Chair in 2022. Sims is an attorney at Fikso Kretschmer Smith Dixon Ormseth PS and former executive director at Master Builders Association of King and Snohomish Counties (MBAKS). Her career has been dedicated to addressing issues at the intersection of real estate, land use, sustainability, and the environment. She has counseled many of the Northwest’s well-known developers and later served in vice presidential roles for Plum Creek Timber Company and its 2016-merged company, Weyerhaeuser. After graduating from University of Illinois, she earned her Juris Doctor from Syracuse University College of Law.
Abby Solomon – Board Member
Abby Solomon has been driving awareness, advancement, and improved treatment for low-wage workers and disenfranchised populations for more than 20 years. As Executive Director of SEIU 775 Benefits Group, she’s transforming in-home care through portable training, health, retirement, and job-matching benefits. Solomon earned her Master of Social Work from Brown School at Washington University and a bachelor’s in Sociology from Humboldt State University. She became a certified home care aide in 2020.
Lucas DeHerrera – Board Member
As a manager of land use and permitting for Blueprint Capital, Lucas DeHerrera provides project feasibility studies and permitting services for its member builders. He previously spent 14 years at Seattle’s Department of Planning and Development, seven of those as a senior land use plan reviewer. DeHerrera is drawn to causes that support social action, economic empowerment, and poverty alleviation. He holds a bachelor’s degree in Community, Environment & Planning from the University of Washington.
Elena Harnish – Board Member
A Certified Financial Planner™, Elena Harnish has held various securities licenses, as well as credentials as a life insurance, disability, and long-term care agent. She has worked in financial services since 2000. Currently, Elena is a stay-at-home mom to her two young daughters. Like Habitat’s mission, Elena is passionate about causes that provide individuals and families pathways to permanent housing. In addition to her Habitat service, she also serves on the Board of the Harnish Family Foundation.
Claire Verity – Board Member
As the Washington market president for Regence Blue Shield, Claire Verity brings her strategic vision for work grounded in partnerships, collaboration, equity, and growth. She has long served on Northwest nonprofit boards, including Northwest Center, All Hands Raised, and the American Heart Association of Oregon and Southwest Washington. She was honored as a 2021 Women of Influence in Washington. Verity earned her bachelor’s degree in Communications and Leadership from St. Catherine University.
Kirstin Sandaas – Board Member
Kirstin Sandaas brings her significant financial acumen to the Habitat Board. Her career spans 16 years with Saltchuk Resources, 13 of those spent at its subsidiary Foss Maritime as CFO. Prior to that, Sandaas worked at Optiva Corporation (makers of the Sonicare toothbrush) and various public accounting firms. She retired in May 2021 as CFO at the Seattle Foundation and currently serves on the boards of the Perigee Fund and the Northwest Maritime Center. She holds graduate and undergraduate accounting degrees from the University of Washington.
Kristin Frossmo – Board Member
Kristin Frossmo is an accomplished retail executive, with a history of leading complex, customer-focused businesses over the past twenty years at Nordstrom. She is passionate about solving problems for consumers, building and leading high-performance teams, and driving innovation and growth. Frossmo also serves as Co-Chair of the Seattle Walk to End Alzheimer’s and is a Club Advisory Board member for the Boys’ and Girls’ Club.
Jen Creighton – Board Member
Jen Creighton is the owner of Brightpath Consulting. With more than 20 years of experience working in development and construction projects in the Greater Seattle area, Creighton has a vast network of partners in the design, development, and construction industries. Born and raised in Seattle, Creighton is a graduate of the University of Washington Construction Management program and Seattle University Executive Leadership Program and Executive MBA programs.
David Hackney – Board Member
David Hackney is the State Representative for Washington’s 11th state legislative district and is a committed advocate for all people. An admitted member of the Washington State Bar, Hackney has served as an Assistant U.S. Attorney at the Department of Justice, taught trial advocacy at the National Advocacy Center, and practiced as a war crimes prosecutor at The Hague in the Netherlands while working with the United Nations. Hackney is an adjunct professor at the University of Washington School of Law, on the boards of Tabor 100 and the Alliance for Gun Responsibility Foundation, and a Commissioner on the Washington Human Rights Commission.
Patience Malaba – Board Member
Patience Malaba is the Executive Director of the Housing Development Consortium (HDC) of Seattle-King County, a 200-member association focused on affordable housing. She has a proven track record for developing strategic partnerships, effective advocacy, and a deep knowledge of housing policy. Patience co-chairs Puget Sound Regional Council (PSRC)’s Regional TOD Advisory Committee, Chairs the Seattle Redistricting Commission, co-Chairs the Eastside Housing Roundtable and serves on the PSRC Growth Management Policy Board. She is the recipient of the Bullitt Foundation Environmental Fellowship Award, Homestead Community Land Trust’s Cooper Legacy Award for the Black Home Initiative policy advocacy work to increase black homeownership and the Driver’s Union Innovators for Fairness Award.
Alex Wu – Board Member
Alex is a principal at the law firm Hillis Clark Martin & Peterson PS and an experienced trial lawyer, focusing his practice on business, securities, and real estate litigation. In real estate and land use matters, Alex works with clients to resolve issues as they arise and document their property rights. Before attending law school and joining HCMP, Alex worked in the biotechnology industry as an entrepreneur and research scientist working on computational biology, bioinformatics, pharmaceutical target discovery, and development of biological threat detection devices for defense and national security applications.
At our Volunteer & Donor Appreciation Night at Lagunitas Brewing Company in Ballard in December, Habitat for Humanity SKKC celebrated the volunteers, donors and advocates who form the engine that drives our affiliate’s success. Because of the contributions made in 2022 by Habitat volunteers, donors, and advocates, 50 King and Kittitas County families who couldn’t otherwise own their own homes are eligible for homeownership in 2023. And that’s only the beginning.
In more than 30,000 hours of donated time and work, our volunteers were able to build, renovate, and repair 74 homes last year. Volunteers who staffed Habitat stores sold over 400,000 items the proceeds of which provide financial support to augment all that hard work. The hours and results testify to the joy of working with others to create safe, affordable homes for people from all walks of life.
And some volunteers received special recognition for going above and beyond in 2022 – the following individuals were recognized as Habitat “All Stars.”
Mary Castillo – Habitat Stores Volunteer of the Year
Nancy Blase – Homeowner Services Volunteer of the Year
Beverly Skeffington, Diane Lampe, Terie McCunn – Construction Volunteers of the Year
Gary Fallon – 2022 Habitat SKC Volunteer of the Year
At the event, Habitat inaugurated the Manny Weiser Volunteer Service Award named in memory of long-time volunteer Manny and the incredible dedication and supportive attitude he brought to the work site every day. The first winners of this award for exceptional service are an itinerant team of young adults from Christian Public Service. This group travels the country fulfilling six-month service terms at places like hospitals and nursing homes. Habitat has benefited from their help and expertise on our build sites twice a week for many years.
If these people and their accomplishments inspire you, now is the perfect time to reach out and reap the joy of volunteering. Simply email volunteer@habitatskc.org to learn more, and with luck, Habitat will be celebrating your impacts in the years ahead!
