Habitat for Humanity ReStore Arlington Heights

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About Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley

Location:

56 S. Grove Ave., Elgin, IL 60120, US

Mission Statement

Founded in Americus, Georgia, in 1976 by Millard and Linda Fuller, Habitat for Humanity International operates around the globe and has helped build, renovate, and repair more than 1 million decent, affordable houses sheltering more than 4 million people worldwide. Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley is part of a global, nonprofit housing organization operated on Christian principles that seeks to put God’s love into action by building homes, communities, and hope. Habitat for Humanity of Northern Fox Valley is dedicated to eliminating substandard housing locally and worldwide through constructing, rehabilitating, and preserving homes, by advocating for fair and just housing policies, and by providing training and access to resources to help families improve their shelter conditions. Habitat for Humanity was founded on the conviction that every man, woman, and child should have a simple, decent, and affordable place to live. As all affiliates, our mission is to build, rehab, and preserve homes for qualifying families in our area. Founded in 1990, HFHNFV serves the Northern Fox Valley area from Route 176 in Crystal Lake in the north, to Route 38 in St. Charles in the south, west to Route 47 in Huntley, and east to the city limits of Chicago down the I-90 corridor. Our building efforts are focused in Carpentersville, Elgin, St. Charles, and the surrounding area.

Description

Our local goal is to b uild/rehab twice the number of homes in half the time. We built 60 homes in our first two decades for our partner families. The objective for the next ten years is to build 120 new homes or rehabs from 2011 through 2020. We are currently focused on rehabbing foreclosed and abandoned homes to help revitalize the neighborhoods where we work. To expand our mission of preserving affordable housing, we are helping homeowners in need rejuvenate the exterior of their existing homes through our "A Brush With Kindness" program. This program bolsters the pride of homeownership, revitalizes the appearance of the neighborhood, encourages connections within the community, and helps preserve affordable housing stock.

Our homes are simple, decent, and affordable. Habitat houses are modestly sized -- large enough for the homeowner's needs, but small enough to keep construction and maintenance costs to a minimum. We use quality, locally available construction materials and meet all building codes. Experienced professionals and volunteers supervise house construction. Houses are designed to conform architecturally to the neighborhood. The donated labor of volunteers and partner families, efficient building methods, modest house sizes, and a no-profit, no-interest loan make mortgage payments affordable.

The three criteria for a family to qualify for a Habitat home include need, ability to pay back a mortgage, and willingness to partner. If these criteria are met, families have the opportunity to own their home by paying a 30-year, no-interest mortgage back to HFHNFV. In addition, families undergo an extensive family selection process to qualify including work history and credit check. Each family partner on the mortgage must put in at least 250 hours of "sweat equity" on their own home, 125 hours of which can be completed by friends and family.