HARRY LYNCH - hlynch@newsobserver.com
Durham Habitat workers build a house that would meet green building standards.
It's the eighth-largest builder of houses in the United States and has built more than 350,000 homes in 90 countries. Its home-furnishings business earns nearly $1 billion annually. It's not listed on the New York Stock Exchange because it's a nonprofit group - and the quintessential social enterprise.
Driven by mission but sustained by exceptional business savvy, Habitat for Humanity ( www.habitat.org) has grown into a significant construction force since its founding as an ecumenical Christian housing ministry by Millard Fuller in 1976.
Often associated with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and the spirit of volunteerism, Habitat has emerged as a model of sustainable and scalable social change.
Driven by mission but sustained by exceptional business savvy, Habitat for Humanity ( www.habitat.org) has grown into a significant construction force since its founding as an ecumenical Christian housing ministry by Millard Fuller in 1976.
Often associated with Jimmy and Rosalynn Carter and the spirit of volunteerism, Habitat has emerged as a model of sustainable and scalable social change.
Across North Carolina, it's extending its reach through entrepreneurial ventures and leadership in the green building movement. Habitat is also showing how successful social entrepreneurs can find fresh ways to increase their effect even more.
Built for families of limited means, Habitat homes are never given away. Each family earns its home through hundreds of hours of sweat equity side-by-side with volunteers (some who are also earning their way to a new home).
Like any traditional homebuyer, each Habitat family is responsible for a monthly mortgage offered for 0 percent interest. Habitat takes these mortgage payments and uses them to finance the building of new homes.
Through this virtuous cycle, Habitat's building pipeline is robust, with a new Habitat home being built on average every 10 minutes. Habitat's goal for 2013 is 100,000 families served annually (or one house every six minutes).
Says Miguel Rubiera, a former corporate executive who is executive director of Durham Habitat: "Habitat is all about giving a hand up to hardworking families that cannot afford to buy a home through conventional means. The 0-percent mortgage rate allows the families to create wealth for their future from day one."
To further support its work, Habitat has launched a network of ReStore resale outlets ( bit.ly/habitatrestore). Stocked with materials salvaged from Habitat sites as well as donated materials, local ReStores have become a popular destination for do-it-yourselfers and contractors looking for discounted furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. All proceeds from the sale support the local Habitat chapters that run them.
Since 1995, the Durham and Orange County ReStore has contributed more than $1 million to the local chapter.
To supply their ReStores, Wake and Durham County's Habitats have launched the DeConstruction Program. In addition to salvaging more than 85 percent of unused materials from every Habitat site, DeCon offers its salvaging services to private residents - ranging from pulling out cabinets to demolishing and removing an entire house. Again, all proceeds go back to the local Habitat chapters. Part of the competitively priced service counts as a tax write-off for the consumer.
Across the state, Charlotte's Habitat has also been bit by the entrepreneurial bug. Next to the local ReStore is Julia's Coffee. Named for Habitat's first volunteer executive director, Julia Maulden, it features organic, fair-trade beans, used books and a direct connection to Habitat. All of the sales go to building new Habitat homes in the Queen City.
Habitat has also become a pioneer in green building. Last month, for example, Durham Habitat and Durham-based light manufacturer Cree announced the construction of the first Habitat house to be fully lit by LED lights - projected to save $250 in electricity every year over traditional lighting. This kicked off a three-year, $1.5 million commitment by Cree to provide LED lights in all new Habitat homes.
This year, Durham Habitat celebrated the dedication of Hope Crossing in northeast Durham - North Carolina's first affordable green community. The 31-home community features houses with solar panels, efficient hot water heaters, Energy Star appli ances and barrels to capture rain, as well as a community garden, a walking trail and a playground to encourage outdoor bonding time.
The United Nations declared the first Monday of October World Habitat Day. Designed to bring attention to families relegated to destitute living conditions, it's also a call to action.
Habitat's reach is significant but pales in comparison to the estimated 1 billion people around the world living in slum housing and the 100 million who are homeless. We need sustainable scalable solutions that harness the creative and entrepreneurial energy of organizations like Habitat. We're also going to need thousands of people willing to put a little sweat into it.
Luckily there are good models to build on. Who's ready to swing a hammer?
Built for families of limited means, Habitat homes are never given away. Each family earns its home through hundreds of hours of sweat equity side-by-side with volunteers (some who are also earning their way to a new home).
Like any traditional homebuyer, each Habitat family is responsible for a monthly mortgage offered for 0 percent interest. Habitat takes these mortgage payments and uses them to finance the building of new homes.
Through this virtuous cycle, Habitat's building pipeline is robust, with a new Habitat home being built on average every 10 minutes. Habitat's goal for 2013 is 100,000 families served annually (or one house every six minutes).
Says Miguel Rubiera, a former corporate executive who is executive director of Durham Habitat: "Habitat is all about giving a hand up to hardworking families that cannot afford to buy a home through conventional means. The 0-percent mortgage rate allows the families to create wealth for their future from day one."
To further support its work, Habitat has launched a network of ReStore resale outlets ( bit.ly/habitatrestore). Stocked with materials salvaged from Habitat sites as well as donated materials, local ReStores have become a popular destination for do-it-yourselfers and contractors looking for discounted furniture, home accessories, building materials and appliances. All proceeds from the sale support the local Habitat chapters that run them.
Since 1995, the Durham and Orange County ReStore has contributed more than $1 million to the local chapter.
To supply their ReStores, Wake and Durham County's Habitats have launched the DeConstruction Program. In addition to salvaging more than 85 percent of unused materials from every Habitat site, DeCon offers its salvaging services to private residents - ranging from pulling out cabinets to demolishing and removing an entire house. Again, all proceeds go back to the local Habitat chapters. Part of the competitively priced service counts as a tax write-off for the consumer.
Across the state, Charlotte's Habitat has also been bit by the entrepreneurial bug. Next to the local ReStore is Julia's Coffee. Named for Habitat's first volunteer executive director, Julia Maulden, it features organic, fair-trade beans, used books and a direct connection to Habitat. All of the sales go to building new Habitat homes in the Queen City.
Habitat has also become a pioneer in green building. Last month, for example, Durham Habitat and Durham-based light manufacturer Cree announced the construction of the first Habitat house to be fully lit by LED lights - projected to save $250 in electricity every year over traditional lighting. This kicked off a three-year, $1.5 million commitment by Cree to provide LED lights in all new Habitat homes.
This year, Durham Habitat celebrated the dedication of Hope Crossing in northeast Durham - North Carolina's first affordable green community. The 31-home community features houses with solar panels, efficient hot water heaters, Energy Star appli ances and barrels to capture rain, as well as a community garden, a walking trail and a playground to encourage outdoor bonding time.
The United Nations declared the first Monday of October World Habitat Day. Designed to bring attention to families relegated to destitute living conditions, it's also a call to action.
Habitat's reach is significant but pales in comparison to the estimated 1 billion people around the world living in slum housing and the 100 million who are homeless. We need sustainable scalable solutions that harness the creative and entrepreneurial energy of organizations like Habitat. We're also going to need thousands of people willing to put a little sweat into it.
Luckily there are good models to build on. Who's ready to swing a hammer?
Christopher Gergen is founding executive director of Bull City Forward and director of the Entrepreneurial Leadership Initiative at Duke University. Stephen Martin, a former business and education journalist, is a speechwriter at the nonprofit Center for Creative Leadership in Greensboro. They can be reached at authors@bullcityforward.org.
Read more: http://www.newsobserver.com/2010/10/10/729603/habitat-builds-a-sustainable-model.html#storylink=misearch#ixzz126V5OqFy