Habitat Disaster Response and Crisis Recovery Fund

Habitat for Humanity of Minnesota is launching a new fund—The Habitat Minnesota Disaster Response and Crisis Recovery Fund. This fund aims to ease the burden on local Habitat organizations experiencing financial challenges due to COVID-19. There is an urgent need for support for Habitat affiliates feeling the impacts of this public health emergency and economic crisis as they work to sustain and expand homeownership opportunities in Minnesota.

Habitat for Humanity is springing into action, responding to the needs of current and future Habitat homeowners as they experience decreased incomes due to COVID-19. The importance of a safe, stable, and affordable home has become even more apparent during this era of “stay-at-home” orders. Habitat anticipates that up to 50% of Habitat homeowners will experience layoffs or furloughs during the financial crisis that accompanies this pandemic; many Habitat homeowners work in food service or other service industry positions or own small businesses.

Habitat is working to make it possible for these homeowners to be able to stay in their homes by making adjustments to their mortgage payments to Habitat so their homes continue to be affordable. In addition to decreased mortgage payment revenue, Habitat has had to cancel or delay annual fundraising events, temporarily close ReStore retail stores, and postpone volunteer days. This decrease in revenue is causing these organizations to have to lay off or furlough staff, which greatly impacts their ability to meet the housing needs of communities across Minnesota. The Habitat Minnesota Disaster Response and Crisis Recovery Fund will keep Habitat for Humanity stable into the future. Our state was already facing an affordable housing crisis before COVID-19, with one in ten households spending more than half of their income on housing. This fund will allow Habitat to be ready to respond to the additional housing needs that arise as we work to recover from this crisis.

Donations to this fund will be sent to the 28 Habitat affiliates in Minnesota, starting with those that need it most urgently. To further provide support statewide, up to 10% of donations to this fund will be used by Habitat Minnesota to support the range of programs and services offered to all affiliates in Minnesota. Help us keep people in their homes now, and prepare Habitat for Humanity to aid in the economic recovery after COVID-19. Donations received to this fund that are beyond Habitat’s needs in response to COVID-19 will be used to recover from future disasters or crises.