BAY & VALLEY HABITAT for HUMANITY, Inc

888 North First Street, Suite 215
San Jose, Ca 95112
(408) 294-6464
fax (408) 294-6462

Habitat for Humanity International

Habitat for Humanity is a Christian organization which helps low-income people build their own homes.The philosophy of Habitat is that the economically disadvantaged need capital, not charity and co-workers, not caseworkers, in order to obtain a decent house in a decent community.

How Habitat Started

In 1968, Millard Fuller, businessman and lawyer from Alabama,and Dr. Clarence Jordan, founder of Koinonia Farms in Americus, Georgia, began work to eliminate substandard housing in Sumter County, Georgia. Determined not to act as money lender and charge interest when lending to the poor, Koinonia Farms began building and selling houses to the poor at no profit, no interest in 1968. Rapid building continues inSumter County today. A local initiative is underway to eliminate all substandard housing by the year 2000.
In 1973, Millard and Linda Fuller carried the Koinonia Farms concept to Zaire, Africa, and launched a building program for more than 160 houses. When they returned to the United States in 1976, the Fullers settled in Americus, Georgia, and created Habitat for Humanity in order to expand their work.
Habitat is still headquartered in Americus, Georgia, and has more than 1,000 affiliates across the United States. Habitat also operates in 40 countries around the world. By early 1994 over 25,000 homes were built worldwide, with 10,000 of them in the United States.
Persons willing to work as volunteers on former President Jimmy Carter's annual work project or any Habitat building project in the United States or overseas can contact the Habitat office in Americus, Georgia, at (912) 924-6935.

Affiliate Countries

Argentina, Armenia, Australia, Bolivia, Botswana, Brazil, Burundi, Canada, Central African Republic, Costa Rica, Dominican Republic, Egypt, EI Salvador, Ethiopia, Fiji, Ghana, Guatamala, Haiti, Honduras, Hungary, India, Indonesia, Jamaica, Kenya, Malawi, Mexico, New Zealand, Nicaragua, Nigeria, Pakistan, Papua New Guinea, Peru, Philippines, Poland, Solomon Islands,South Africa, Tanzania, Uganda, United States, Zaire, Zambia.

Bay & Valley Habitat for Humanity

Bay & Valley Habitat For Humanity, Inc., an affiliate of Habitat For Humanity International, was incorporated as a non-profit organization on July 21,1986. Under the direction of a volunteer board of directors, Bay & Valley Habitat works in partnership with low income families to build affordable, decent housing in Santa Clara County.
The houses are built using volunteer labor and tax-deductible donations of money and materials contributed by churches, businesses, foundations and private individuals.

Creating a Partnership

Bay & Valley Habitat's Family Selection Committee, comprised of community volunteers and board members, select potential families for home ownership according to financial need, current substandard living conditions, and their ability to make monthly house payments. The selected families must invest 500 hours of "sweat equity" in the construction of their homes. Working side-by-side, homeowner families, donors and other Habitat volunteers create a spirit of partnership and develop a sense of community which benefits evryone.
Once construction is completed, the homes are sold AT COST-NO PROFIT to the homeowner families, who pay, over 30 years, small monthly NO INTEREST MORTGAGE PAYMENTS averaging $300-$550 per month. Mortgage payments are recycled to build future homes for more needy families.

Welcome

Since 1991, Bay and Valley Habitat for Humanity has built eight, 3 & 4 bedroom homes in Alviso in partnership with very low income families. Our most recent home, adopted by the Los Altos United Methodist Church with a gift of $30,000 and volunteer laborers, was completed in March, 1994. Within days, Jesus and Margarita Cobos and their six children, moved into their brand new four bedroom home.
The land for two more homes is being readied for construction on State Street, Alviso. Last month, members of Wesley United Methodist Church of San Jose and students from Santa Clara University cleared the land of debris. Grading of the land occurred the following week. The foundations will be poured after the permit process is completed. Hopefully, the permit process will be within a couple of weeks.
The future homeowners, the Martinez and Garcia families, were selected along with the Cobos family by our Family Selection Committee and have already contributed "sweat equity" hours (labor) on the Cobos' home. They now wait eagerly but patiently to work on and move into their own homes.
Currently, eight families consisting of 15 adults and 32 children, live in the eight Habitat homes. Prior to assuming homeownership, in partnership with Habitat, the families endured substandard, unhealthy, unsafe living conditions.
Decent affordable housing is a major social and economic problem in Santa Clara County. It is especially hard on very low income families, the families that Habitat works to help become homeowners.
There is no way these families could ever dream of acquiring a home through conventional banks. Habitat For Humanity is the only hope for these hard working but poor families to own a home of their own.
Habitat's home building program is not a giveaway program. It is a Partnership Program in which families must work 500 hours with Habitat volunteers building their own homes. Families must also have the ability to pay very small monthly mortgages.
Habitat sells homes to families AT COST - NO PROFIT. A small down payment, equal to a monthly mortgage payment, is required.Homeowners receive 30 YEAR NO INTEREST mortgage loans. Mortgages for Habitat homes in Alviso range from $300-$550 per month including taxes and insurance. Mortgage payments are recycled to build future homes for other needy families in Alviso.
One of the homes to be built has been ADOPTED by Wesley United Methodist Church, a Japanese church celebrating its Centennial Year in 1995. The church, located in Japantown, San Jose, selected Habitat for Humanity as a focus for celebrating its Centennial.
Descendants of early Japanese settlers are now building a home for recent Hispanic immigrants. Also, the sponsorship of a Habitat home by this church is the first community activity they have engaged in outside of their own ethnic location.
We're ready to hammer, even though we do not have our second home ADOPTED. Hopefully, a church or an organization will come forth and agree to be a Partner with us.
message from Bill Arnopp, Executive Director December 27, 1994

HOW YOU CAN HELP BAY & VALLEY HABITAT FOR HUMANITY

The heart and soul of Bay & Valley Habitat for Humanity is its volunteers, especially those energetic volunteers who put in countless hours wielding a hammer on a construction site, those who help in our office, or who serve on committees.

COMMITTEES NEEDING VOLUNTEERS

MORE VOLUNTEER OPPORTUNITIES
Bay & Valley Habitat needs volunteers year round in the following positions:

Help With Our Current Project!

Now that the rains have stopped we are working feverishly to complete our remaining two Alviso homes. The foundation is in, and the external walls and roof framing are completed. We can use your help with all phases of construction, from painting to plumbing. Our workdays are Wednesdays through Sundays from 8 AM to 5 PM. No experience necessary! Call us at (408) 294-6464. We hope to have our two new families in their homes sometime in June!

Come and join us in the excitement of building!!!

return to Bay Area Volunteer Information home page