U.S. Office News

July 2023

Thank you to all who were able to join the Executive Summit last month. I so enjoyed speaking with Habitat for Humanity leaders from across the U.S. network about a variety of topics, including diversity, equity and inclusion; where Habitat is going in the future; and the Habitat 2.0 financial model. Resources from the summit will be available on the Knowledge Center of MyHabitat in the coming weeks.

Speaking of the financial model work, I want to remind you that affiliate leaders received an announcement regarding the launch of the Habitat 2.0 policy comment period on June 12 and will receive individual outcome reports on June 22. If you cannot locate your report, contact the Affiliate Support Center at USSupportCenter@habitat.org or (877) 434-4435 to have it re-sent.

I encourage you to engage in the upcoming town hall on July 26 to learn more about the policy and ask questions. If you’ve been unable to attend any of the town hall events or want to listen to the presentation again, you can view the recorded session. Please share your input by Aug. 10. Network feedback will continue to help shape the Habitat 2.0 financial model to ensure its effectiveness before the final policy is presented to the U.S. Council.

Adrienne Goolsby
Senior Vice President, U.S. and Canada
Habitat for Humanity International

• Action items and important news
• Funding opportunities
• Events and important dates
• New resources and program updates
• Other news
• Reminders

The fiscal year 2024 U.S. Affiliated Organization Covenant and Quality Assurance Checklist is coming soon. As you plan for your July, August or September board meetings, please include time to review and sign the annual U.S. Affiliated Organization Covenant and Quality Assurance Checklist. The submission portal will open later this month, but the preview copy of the covenant and checklist is now available on the Knowledge Center of MyHabitat to share and review with your board members. Please be aware that once you receive your affiliate's unique link to the covenant and checklist, you will have until Sept. 29 — about 60 days — to turn it in or your affiliate will be out of good standing. If you have questions, please contact the Affiliate Support Center at USSupportCenter@habitat.org or (877) 434-4435.

Habitat for Humanity International needs your help once again to ensure Congress continues to support Habitat’s key appropriations priorities. The debt limit legislation Congress passed could negatively impact appropriation funding levels for critical programs at agencies like HUD and USDA that support Habitat’s work across the country. As appropriations bills are in the works, now is the time to reach out to your members of Congress. Please send this message urging them to support strong federal investments in the fiscal year 2024 budget to help expand access to affordable homeownership and offset the rising costs of building and rehabilitating homes.

This bipartisan and now bicameral bill would help increase the nation’s affordable homeownership supply and support Habitat’s work by investing in both new construction and home rehabilitation projects in distressed communities. Reintroduction is a key first step, but we need your help to move the bill forward and gather more support. Send your members of Congress an email or call and deliver a message to urge them to co-sponsor the bill to ensure NHIA crosses the finish line in both chambers.

Find current funding opportunities on MyHabitat.

• July 20 — Deadline to complete the Affiliate Statistical and Housing Production Report.
• July 26 — Habitat 2.0 Policy Town Hall, 2 p.m. EDT.
• Aug. 2 — Habitat ReStore Resources Live Tour, 3 p.m. EDT.
• Aug. 8 — MyHabitat Live Tour, 3 p.m. EDT.
• Aug. 10 — MyHabitat Live Tour, 11:30 a.m. EDT.
• Aug. 17 — Rural Peer-to-Peer Roundtable Discussion, 1 p.m. EDT.
• Aug. 21-24 — ReStore University 201, Atlanta.
• Aug. 32 — The Heart of Interfaith Koinonia Dialogue panel discussion, 11 a.m.-12:30 p.m. EDT.

Habitat for Humanity International has set this year’s mortgage discount rate and basis for calculation as of June 30. The below-market rate of a typical Habitat mortgage is an economic cost to the affiliate and benefit to the homeowner that must be recognized in the accounting records according to generally accepted accounting principles. Details and examples can be found in Section 2.15 of the Financial Policies and Procedures Affiliate Operations Manual and in Appendices 10 and 11.

In June, we celebrated the one-year anniversary of the launch of Habitat’s Advancing Black Homeownership initiative. Thank you to all who joined us for one of our events! For a snapshot of our accomplishments, work in the pipeline, and some preliminary race and ethnicity data from the Affiliate Statistical Report and Housing Product Report, please check out this Advancing Black Homeownership one-year abstract.

In August, your federal legislators will be back in your state to reconnect with constituents and learn about the policy issues that are important to their communities. August recess is a great opportunity for you to meet with your members of Congress and tell them about your work and Habitat’s priorities for housing investments that would advance home affordability. The August recess toolkit includes how-to guides on inviting members to build sites, setting up congressional meetings, sharing Habitat’s 2023 federal legislative talking points and more. If you secure a visit or meeting with one of your elected officials or a member of their staff, please email Jessica Anderson at jeanderson@habitat.org to let us know how it went.

Support Habitat youth by participating in Collegiate Challenge for the March 2024 through February 2025 season! Register your organization on the Collegiate Challenge affiliate portal to post build opportunities for interested student groups. The Collegiate Challenge page on the Knowledge Center of MyHabitat is an excellent guide on how to participate in the program and successfully coordinate student groups. Volunteer groups will begin submitting applications for Spring 2024 builds on habitat.org on Oct. 3 at 9 a.m. EDT.

Last month, Harvard University’s Joint Center for Housing Studies released its annual report on the latest state of the nation’s housing market. The report, which Habitat for Humanity International proudly supported again through Cost of Home, found substantially higher cost burdens for renters and homeowners alike, a significant decline in first-time homebuying, the supply of homes for sale still at near-record lows, and rising costs disproportionately affecting lower-income households and households of color, especially potential homebuyers of color. Use the data from the report as you advocate for home affordability.

To be in good standing means a U.S. affiliate has met the criteria to be eligible to apply for the many grant and funding opportunities available through Habitat for Humanity International, including all grants, donations, transfers and loans, and is also eligible to participate in HFHI programs such as AmeriCorps. Click the links below to add recuring meeting reminders for the four timebound good standing criteria to your calendar.

• U.S. Stewardship and Organizational Sustainability Initiative fee — US-SOSI.
• U.S. Affiliated Organization Covenant and Quality Assurance Checklist.
• Tithe.
• Affiliate Statistical and Housing Production Reports.

In March 2023, the Policy Committee of the U.S. Council proposed revisions to five policies of the U.S. Affiliated Organization Policy Handbook that have little to no operational impact on affiliates or affiliate support organizations and help align policy language with current naming conventions, long-standing guidance and best practices. After reviewing feedback from the 45-day comment period, four of the five policies were brought forward and received endorsement from the U.S. Council and approval from Habitat for Humanity International’s board of directors. The four approved policy revisions went into effect on July 1, 2023.

• Policy 5 — Comprehensive Financial — approved.
• Policy 13 — Logo Adoption — approved.
• Policy 19 — Sex Offender Registration and Criminal Background Checks — paused to ensure alignment with Habitat's commitment to racial equity.
• Policy 28 — Subsidy and Sustainability — retirement approved.
• Policy 29 — Consumer Mortgages Offered by Third-Party Lenders — approved.

What an incredible year! We are so grateful for your support of our global ministry. In fiscal year 2023, U.S. affiliated organizations tithed more than $18 million to Habitat’s international work. Thank you so much for sharing your blessings with so many families around the world who will now have a decent, safe place to call home.

The question sets for the fiscal year 2023 Habitat ReStore Annual Report surveys are now available on the Knowledge Center of MyHabitat. This year, draft question sets for both single and multistore operations are available to better align with the user’s experience when completing the actual survey. You can use these question sets to gather your store's information in preparation for the survey launch, which is scheduled for late July or early August.

Cause marketing refers to a for-profit business and a nonprofit organization partnering for mutual benefit. It provides a mechanism for engaging a brand’s consumers to contribute to the impact of a partnership through their donations and allows partners to feature a call to action that will further Habitat for Humanity’s mission. Visit the Knowledge Center on MyHabitat for more information on Habitat for Humanity International’s new and ongoing cause marketing campaigns.

Watch this quick video tour of MyHabitat. You can also join a MyHabitat Live Tour, held twice each month, for more tips to help you get the most out of MyHabitat.

More information

Affiliate Support Center
USSupportCenter@habitat.org
(877) 434-4435
Monday – Thursday: 8 a.m. – 8 p.m. Eastern Time
Friday: 8 a.m. – 6 p.m. Eastern Time

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