This Insights article is co-authored by Steve Spain, Executive Director of Cape Fear Habitat for Humanity.
Sometimes, when people hear about WARM’s mission, they immediately compare us to the more well-known international housing nonprofit, Habitat for Humanity (HFH). The similarities are clear; we both assist low-income families and individuals with housing issues and rely heavily on donations and volunteers. However, our missions, clients, and roles in hurricane recovery are very different.
Mission
In simplest terms, HFH’s mission is to provide opportunities for families to purchase homes while WARM’s mission is to keep homeowners in their homes by making urgent repairs.
HFH fulfills its mission by raising funds and coordinating volunteers to offset the cost of land and construction, then offering an affordable loan and financial counseling to give the family a good start at homeownership. Cape Fear HFH has served more than 200 families since its founding in 1987.
By comparison, WARM does smaller jobs for more families. We fulfill our mission by raising funds and coordinating volunteers to complete home repairs, rebuilding, and accessibility upgrades. Helping keep a family in their home can cost $2-3,000 for accessibility and safety upgrades to over $30,000 for rehabilitation of essential functions. WARM was founded in 1996 and just last month began our 1300th rebuild.
Clients
Both organizations have strict qualifications that ensure we reach those who demonstrate a true need and are capable of long-term homeownership.
HFH’s future homeowners must:
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