Facts about Greater Birmingham Habitat for Humanity

- Non-profit Christian housing ministry recognized as 5th ranked out of over 1,500 other affiliates in the US by Habitat for Humanity International.
 
- Habitat for Humanity seeks to eliminate poverty housing and homelessness from the world and to make decent shelter a matter of conscience and action.
 
- Builds quality, affordable housing and revitalizes existing houses and receives more than 3,200 requests for information on housing assistance each year.
 
- Habitat Birmingham assisted 153 families in 2011, through a comprehensive approach to aiding people with their housing needs.
 
- Completed 41 new houses in the Greater Birmingham area with partners in 2011; more than 450 since the organization began in 1987. The affiliate has provided housing for 20 families internationally through Habitat’s tithe program in 2011.
 
- Houses are sold to low-income families at cost and financed at zero percent interest; houses are not given away.
 
- Following recent tornados, Habitat Birmingham added disaster recovery to its programs to assist impacted families with their housing needs. Disaster recovery is continuing across the region, expanding its service area to include St. Clair County in 2011. Habitat Birmingham is a Central Alabama Long-Term Recovery Committee partner, overseeing the construction element in recovery.
 
- Began Home Repair Program in March 2006; to date over 225 repairs have been completed through Habitat’s critical repair program. Seventy-one repairs were completed in 2011; 40 of those were for families impacted by the April 2011 tornadoes.
 
- Provided approximately 2,000 men, women and children with quality, affordable housing and improved living conditions in Jefferson, Shelby, Walker and St. Clair counties.
 
- The cost to fully sponsor a family to live in a house starts at $50,000. The average principal payment for families is currently $325 per month.  
 
- A family selection committee evaluates prospective homeowners for new construction using three criteria: (1) Need for quality, affordable housing; (2) Willingness to partner with Habitat Birmingham (minimum 300 “sweat equity” hours and 10 hours of homeownership education workshops); (3) Ability to repay a zero percent interest mortgage.
 
- In 2012, Habitat is making its education workshops open to the public in a new Homeowner Education Center located next to the ReStore, featuring hands-on workstations for repairs and maintenance.
 
- In addition to building new homes and repairing existing homes, Habitat Birmingham acquires and rehabilitates abandoned and foreclosed homes in the Birmingham area. Twenty families benefitted from this rehabilitation program in 2011.
 
- Habitat Birmingham relies on volunteers to help its partner families achieve their dreams of homeownership; 13,573 people in 2011.
 
- 501(c)(3) charitable organization governed by a local Board of Directors made up of a diverse group of community, business and religious leaders.
 
Download a printable Habitat facts sheet.
 
Click here for a copy of our latest Form 990.      View our latest Annual Report .