Thoughts on Habitat for Humanity (room, houses, neighborhood, work)

[Hollynla]

Originally Posted by samdu

I can offer an opinion from both sides. Where I live we don't have Habitat, but we have something identical under a different name. Same type of screenings, home ownership classes, sweat equity, income limits, etc.

I have one of those homes. I worked hard my whole life but became low income when I became disabled. I bought the second home on our street in this program. When I got my house 3 years ago, the neighborhood was perfect. It was a nice mix of all races and incomes. Mostly upper middle-aged to elderly. Homes on our street are a mix of everything from small, inexpensive homes to $300,000+ homes. It was safe and extremely quiet. It was so safe that people didn't even lock their doors when they were away from home. I and the owner of the first house in the program keep our homes looking good and we're both quiet and don't have kids running wild or dogs running loose.

Fast forward to last year, when they built several more homes in the program. Every family that has moved into these homes in the past year has been a problem. Parties nearly every night, boomcars, teens running wild, drugs, fights, gunfire in the street, trashed yards, dogs that bark nearly non-stop, aggressive pit bulls running loose and attacking our dogs so we can't even take our dogs for a walk, gangs, graffiti, break-ins, and vandalism. The noise has gotten so bad that I can't even sit outside and enjoy my own yard anymore. Day and night, 'round the clock unreasonable noise.

We're close to the Mexican border and every one of these families that have bought these homes after I moved here are Hispanic, and in their culture, it's normal to have several families living together in one small house, so all of these homes now have multiple families. Most don't work so they hang out and party all the time. I don't know how some of these homeowners pay their mortgage without working, but apparently they do. We have vehicles with Mexico license plates sitting in the street dealing drugs right in the open. They're friends of the owners of these homes. The cops and border patrol are here all the time hauling neighbors and/or their friends away for one thing or another, but they never stay in jail for long before they're back and making trouble again.

Our street has turned into a nightmare because of this program. They built more homes a few streets from here and that street also used to be very nice but is now having the same problems. I have discussed the problem with the head of the organization and he said they can only screen the applicants financially and have no control of how these people behave or how many people move in with them after they buy the house.

When I bought my house, the neighbors were against the program and were trying to stop the organization from building more homes here. I couldn't understand why these people were prejudiced against me and others like me just because of our income. I assumed most low income people weren't any different than anyone else. Now I totally understand. Even though I'm low income and I'm grateful the program exists, I can't stand living next to other low income families because, at least here, the majority are not good people and they trash everything they have and bring crime and noise to the neighborhood. I wish there was some way to turn it around to where the majority are good people with only a few bad apples instead of the other way around like it is now. Most of these people came from crime-ridden, run-down barrios. You would think they'd be happy to get out and would be thankful to have something better, but instead they insist on turning their new neighborhood into a duplicate of where they moved from. I don't understand that mentality at all. If you like that kind of environment, why not stay where you are instead of spreading it to our good neighborhoods?

Thank you for your post and being so open and honest about your experience. I know it's not PC to say some of those things, but it's just the truth. I often wonder, are these people "low income" because of the way they choose to live their lives, or did they choose to live their lives this way because they are low income? It sounds that for you, your income is based on the fact that you are disabled and not because of your lifestyle or bad life decisions. I could feel your frustration in your post and I truly sympathize with your situation.

[MsAmandaJones]

Posting again as an update of sorts. I've found myself drawn back to this thread over a year after my post on the prior page. I'm still in the same Habitat house, working on my escape plan to leave this place. I may have to buy a home together with a relative, work two jobs, and be generally house-poor. But I'm extremely depressed and my health has nosedived greatly from all of the stress of living here, so I need to get out by any means necessary.

The rumor is that the homeowner I mentioned in my prior posting—the woman who got married, moved, and installed others in her home—was forced to refinance or maybe get a new lien holder so that she couldn't get the zero interest the rest of the homeowners have. I have no way of verifying this. She frequently returns to the home and even had renters at one point, but she hasn't lived here since she first left and I pray she doesn't move back before I leave. Now it looks like other relatives of her's are currently living there and storing stuff there. I bet the individual volunteers that assisted and the company/church that helped sponsor her build would be happy to know they volunteered their time and materials to make this trashy woman her own house-sized storage shed.

What Samdu said a couple of posts earlier is the truth. Unfortunately, a lot of Habitat homeowners in my community insist on playing to all of the bad stereotypes as well: loud parties that go on for hours on end, filth, boom cars, animals roaming free, over-occupancy, drugs/booze, etc. I saw people having sex in the street. Most of the things occurring are not directly from the homeowner but the people they bring into their homes. Oh boy do I have stories. Lots of stories. Reporting ordinance violations to the city (such as the junk and over-occupancy) or to the police (the noise) has helped somewhat. Some of it is still present but considerably curbed from two years ago. With so many living here who find these behaviors acceptable, however, it's swimming against the tide.

Habitat likes to pride itself as being "a hand up not a hand out." Take it from someone living in a Habitat community: it's a hand-out. Some of us really benefit in a way most compassionate people would have no problem with. We have people like Sambu who are disabled; a single parent who was a raising his child alone; a few families down the street who takes great pride in their homes and now have stability; and people like my family where I was able to further my education. All of us keep to ourselves but will still say 'hello' if we see you. Most of us keep our lawns neat and free of trash.

But a huge number of the rest only live in inexpensive housing so they can buy more beer, have the latest gadgets, and drive tricked-out rides with sweet rims and too-loud sound systems. They don't actually care where they live and are not invested in making their neighborhood a better place and sure as heck don't give a rat's behind about their fellow neighbors. They have no indoor voices nor sense of civic responsibility. To them, it's cheaper than the rent in this town. And several of them think just because they're in their own house, they can do whatever they want without a care to anyone else. This is the mentality. It can't be reasoned with.

Originally Posted by Hollynla

I often wonder, are these people "low income" because of the way they choose to live their lives, or did they choose to live their lives this way because they are low income?

Both. I come from a low income family. I only learned how to handle money better once I went back to school (university) and became more informed. NO ONE in my family taught me anything. "You have a dollar so try not to spend it all in one place." That's the sum of it. Some people are intuitive, true, but most of us can't learn what we never get taught. And you get poorer which leads to even worse choices. Low income families, in general, do not know how to handle funds. They get tax returns and think it's free money and blow it all like it's Christmas. They can't afford new school clothes for their kids but at least they have $1000 rims. They do not save for a rainy day or have a six-month emergency fund or anything. Why save for your kid's college fund when you can have an awesome quinceanera and put your daughter in a $700 dress she'll never wear again? Sure we want to have a baby but we also want a new car and a vacation somewhere so let's try for all three. Some people I know who came from low income backgrounds have done well and have nice houses and cars, but their kids? None of those kids know how to handle a dollar. They just call mom and dad to get what they need.


For every grateful family like mine, there's two buckets of leeches making the neighborhood unbearable. One the other early posters mentioned how Habitat vets the applicants but when my family entered the program, they pretty much asked us for more warm bodies at that point. I like to think some of the other Habitats may be more discerning and organized in who they select and how they manage homeowners once they move in. Not mine. It's run by buffoons, I'm sad to say. Without making my post any longer, some of the administration has logic as messed up as some of the residents. Truly sad. Well, it's "paved with good intentions," as they say.


I'm sorry I wrote a novel. Please know sharing my story was therapeutic for me and I hope someone else finds it helpful in some manner, too.

[LifeIsGood01]

In theory it's a good program. I'd rather they rehab abandoned homes because it's cheaper and they can help more people that way. They can also get rid of the dilapidated eyesores in the neighborhood where squatters might end up.

And it's not for low income. In my county the income limit for 1 person is $31,600 which is high for this area. I doubt they would build a home for any single people anyway.

Someone posted about this article https://www.hisadvocates.org/topic/h...lity-hits-home /It's in Southwest Florida where I live. It's an interesting read, seems to be badly run around here and they focus more on the Restore which is like a Goodwill store. The story talks about them selling the home for the highest appraised amount and then the taxes and insurance are much higher and you have to get a second and sometimes 3rd mortgage that only has to be paid back if you sell, but the way it is you don't even own the home until you finish paying it off and they agree to forgive the other mortgages.

As far as undesirable types, someone described a home on the opposite block from where I live. Parties on the weekends with music going past midnight. Pitbulls who are kept outside and bred so there are pit puppies too. And what appears to be drug transactions because people pull up to the driveway go inside and come out a minute later and leave. It's not a Habitat home it's a rental of a house. Some more people just moved on on Sept 3rd too.

[LifeIsGood01]

If you know of a HFH home with pitbulls you should report them, they may not be allowed to have them. The site for my county says that they and other dangerous breeds are not allowed due to insurance regulations.

[Mae Maes Garden]

Anyone who is concerned about HFH...read their website...attend some board meetings, show up and volunteer on a job site, provide lunch for the work crew, etc. I sat on the lcal HFH Board for 3 years. I took a new job and was not in town for meetings so I had to declne another term but I do volunteer as often as I can. There are mentors for each family that earns their home. Even follow up mentoring if needed. They (family) are vetted thoroughly before they are accepted into the program.
Relax.

Mae

[MsAmandaJones]

And it's not for low income. In my county the income limit for 1 person is $31,600 which is high for this area.

The local Habitat chapter where I'm at is specifically for low income people. Your local chapter may operate differently.

I doubt they would build a home for any single people anyway.

My local chapter has built for single people and there are at least three or more in my community.

As far as undesirable types, someone described a home on the opposite block from where I live. Parties on the weekends with music going past midnight. Pitbulls who are kept outside and bred so there are pit puppies too. And what appears to be drug transactions because people pull up to the driveway go inside and come out a minute later and leave. It's not a Habitat home it's a rental of a house.

I actually went through something similar in the non-Habitat rental I lived in prior to living in the Habitat house I'm in now. The adults were never home and let their teenagers run wild in the house across the street from where I rented. I was able to find out the name of the owner through property appraisal records and then google his phone number. Before I could call him, they trashed his house and fled. He came up to my door to ask if I had seen anything and I was all "hey, you're Mr. Such-n-such, I was just about to call you." He was a kindly old man and very surprised I already knew his name (he had only introduced himself as the owner). It may be worth it for people going through nightmare renter neighbors to search for the landlord or property manager and call them. Maybe they won't care but there's a chance they might.

If you know of a HFH home with pitbulls you should report them, they may not be allowed to have them. The site for my county says that they and other dangerous breeds are not allowed due to insurance regulations.

Our community was specifically told no pit bulls and no giant trampolines due to insurance regulations. A bunch of the homeowners proceeded to get pits and giant trampolines. In my case, there is no one to report this to. The HFH here couldn't care less. Pit bulls are not illegal where I'm at either. The only other avenue would be sleuthing who their homeowner's insurance carrier is and notifying the carrier directly. Even in the event of doing something that extreme, the homeowner can just lie and send the dog elsewhere for a while.

Anyone who is concerned about HFH...read their website...attend some board meetings, show up and volunteer on a job site, provide lunch for the work crew, etc.

My local HFH puts on a very different face for the board meetings, job sites, and volunteers. The latter two are publicity and photo ops. If a Habitat resident like me goes to them privately with complaints, it becomes very clear that snitches get stitches.

They (family) are vetted thoroughly before they are accepted into the program. Relax.

As far as my chapter is concerned, they probably just vetted the potential homeowner alone for prior debt, good job record, and criminal history. All of the homeowners seen by themselves don't seem problematic if viewed alone through an objective lens. But they are never alone. They bring in all of these thugs to ruin the neighborhood and use their own houses as dumps, then go off to live somewhere nicer while still receiving mail at their Habitat house to keep it firmly established as a primary residence.

There are mentors for each family that earns their home. Even follow up mentoring if needed.

My local chapter does not have mentors. It would have been nice if they had done something like that.


And as I typed this all out, someone's partying into the wee hours of the morning and I have no way of telling which house it's coming from so I can't call the cops to get them to stop. A kindly soul hearing of my plight gifted me a pair of soundproof headphones a few months ago. I wear them nearly all the time. I even sleep with them on. It's really no way to live.

[GotHereQuickAsICould]

There is a reason people end up as HFH homeowners. Sometimes life just deal them a poor hand of cards -- disabilities, bad luck, medical bills...

But other times it is a result of a lifetime of poor decisions.

It's one thing to be a war widow struggling to raise children alone. It's another to be a single mother with men moving in and out on six inch centers.

Most low-income people have low-income friends and relatives. When they fall upon hard times, they move in "temporarily," just until they get back on their feet. Sometimes this takes years.

HFH is a good idea. Wish there was some way to keep it an up and up program.

In our community grandparents nearly lost their HFH home because the grandson was dealing drugs out their home. Public appeals saved their home, but the place is still a mess.

[MsAmandaJones]

What you say is true, very true. I would add it doesn't necessarily take hard times for other people to move in and some of them have no intention of it being temporary.

At one point, one of my neighbors crammed her, her bf, and all of her kids and grand kids into her 3 bedroom, 1.5 bath, 1000 sq ft home. Five cars piled under their carport, on their one-car driveway, and spilling over onto the grass. And not five clunkers either. Five nice, shiny cars. They would have parties and bbqs all the time. Paying under $400 for a mortgage is a sweet deal in my city where you would pay at least $800 for a decent apartment. So instead of these people splitting into three groups and getting their own places, they save $1600 by living together like eggs in a carton. The kids get a free babysitter and everyone has more money for steaks, beer, and sweet rides.

I wish I had more ideas on how to keep it an "up and up program," as you said. It doesn't sound nice to say, but I think they should've put a cap on the ratio of never-married single moms with small kids because now, a decade later, those families are about 90% of the problem. That seems counter-intuitive to the cause because a never-married single mom with small kids seems like the party that would be most in need of affordable housing but I swear they're the ones that abuse the program the worst with their revolving door of men, unsupervised offspring, and multi-thousand dollar tax returns that they blow on $1000 rims, swimming pools, and other junk.

[Laura Pryor]

I live less than 8 feet from a Habitat home. Not only did they damage our property when they built it but they built it so close that we can see into their windows by looking out our windows and the front porch is so far back from the street that it is right outside of our living room window causing us to hear everything that happens on their porch. The people they gave this home to had a criminal history and are known drug dealers and known gang members. When I asked Habitat about it they only said they don't want to hold someone's past against them. This home has already been raided by police and people have drove by trying to shoot them. We have not been able to do anything in our own yard for 15 years because these people are violant and have attacked us many times. I have been trying to get Habitat to change their policies so this wont happen again but they don't care. Not at the local level or the national level. I don't never hear about the bad things Habitat does and someone needs to tell the truth about them!
I just moved in my home few months ago (5-6) months. I just found out that a habitat for humanity is being build near my house. It is being build right at the corner.

I asked the neighbors and they told me that they tried to stop it but no use. Now the house value will go down and the crime rate will go up.

Has anyone has experience with habitat for humanity houses built near their houses?[/quote]

[Laura Pryor]

Habitat gives drug dealing gang members homes. I should know because they gave them a home next to mine. These people had criminal records and if Habitat would of bothered to check our neighborhood would not be the nightmare that it is now. It used to be so nice and people were friendly to each other but now everyone is too scared to even come out of their homes. The police have raided this home and the house has already been shot at in a drive by but we are stuck with these people because they own the home.